Prince charming
by Shakespearenarutostyle
Summary: Sasuke Uchiha was a predator of nature, he lures you in with charming looks and smart compliments, steals your heart and never gives it back. Sakura never thought that she would be one of his victims. it's a Happy fic. AU Complete
1. part 1

a fruit of the long period i spent with no INTERNET and nothing to entertain me but word and excel, it's historical but since i haven't lived in the 1800s it might be full of mistakes and the vocabulary is not exactly well...exact.

keep in mind that english is NOT my first language not even my second, so bear with me.

that's it, enjoy!

* * *

As quietly as possible, she opened the door to her chambers; she surveyed the hallways first before pulling her hood over her head and walking down the empty corridor. Midnight was the time that guards changed shifts, giving her about 15 minutes to leave the castle unnoticed.

She made it to the stables without incident. She looked for the familiar mare, riding on its white back before urging it to gallop quietly out of the stables and out of the castle.

The tavern was filled with drunken men. It smelled obnoxiously with alcohol and beer. Men were passed out everywhere and some openly fondled the scantily clad waitresses. Some women danced in skimpy clothes on tables and counters receiving various tips and money from the occupants of the bar.

She made her way to the counter and ordered a beer, hood still on, she suddenly felt a heat behind her and she prayed to god that it's not some drunk seeking a night of pleasure from her. She never fathomed that it would be worse than that.

"I am positive that such place is unbefitting of your status, Sakura-hime."

She gasped at the suffix, aware that this man had recognized her. Her heart was beating out of control but she outwardly remained calm.

"I have been mistaken for many people before, but never for a princess, I am flattered, stranger." Her voice sounded strange to her own ears and she congratulated herself for being able to mask it. The stranger behind her chuckled and in a surprising move, he grabbed her arm.

"I assure you, my lady, I am never wrong especially about princesses I, shall we say, lust for?"

Every fiber of calmness disappeared as she cursed herself for not recognizing the deep, velvet voice of the prince of Otogakure.

"Please, your highness, do not cause a scene that would bring problems for the both of us."

"For me? I'm not the one sneaking around taverns your highness, people know who I am."

She turned to see his damned smirk. Isn't this what she wanted? To feel free? This was her chance to obtain what she wanted. With determination in her eyes, she grabbed the arm he had on her and dragged him out. The secluded streets were empty, he followed her willingly, she knew she couldn't have dragged him to the dark alleyway otherwise; she pressed herself against him and enjoyed the surprised look that crossed his ebony jewels.

"You said you lust after me, didn't you? You have been seeking to bed me for a while, Sasuke, this is your chance to do what you want. I'm allowing you to do as you please with me."

"Sakura?" he looked at her suspiciously, trying to find the catch or the wrong aspect about her offer, but in her darkening eyes he saw none.

He looked at the street, both ways, before leading her to his horse. They mounted the beast and he led her to a house she did not recognize. He seized her hand and guided her inside, to a clean room and laid her on the fresh sheets of a large bed.

He went to work straight after that, kissing her breathless. He moved his mouth against her own expertly before licking her lower lip asking for entrance. She could do nothing but comply with his tugs and pulls, his tongue caressed hers, the wet muscle exploring the insides of her mouth. He didn't let any inch of her body go untouched. His palms invaded under the many layers of her clothes while his lips never left her own. When breathing became a necessity, he moved to her neck putting wet kisses along her jaw and collarbone. He sucked on her pulse drawing the most wonderful sounds from her unoccupied mouth. Soon, her arms that were lying on her sides before shyly explored his soft mane and then down his shoulders. When his lips touched the smallest portion of her cleavage, a thought hit him, and the motive for her actions that he could not find earlier made itself clear. He stopped all of the sudden making her look at him with a questioning gaze.

"Ah, Sakura, I never thought you had it in you." He pulled himself completely from her, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I always believed that you had a…an undiscovered wit in you, but to use me to spite your father is something I never imagined you capable of."

Her labored breathing hitched at being discovered, how exactly had he known her intentions?

"You are engaged." He stated. "Or should be, at least. And it is something that you abhor, that is why, in an act of rebelliousness, you came to a bar." The damned smirk once again covered his handsome face. "And it just happened that I found you there, I have to admit it, your ability to turn the situation in your favor impressed me. I should be offended, but I'm not, I'm amazed, that's something that doesn't happen every day."

All she could do was stare at him, annoyed beyond belief that he realized her aim so easily.

"I don't understand, you have been trying to seduce me for the past three years, and now that I surrender myself to you, you deny me?"

"Exactly right, my dear." With a predatory look, he approached her, backing her against the headboard and whispered sinfully in her ear, "I don't want you to surrender yourself to me, I want to" He licked her lobe, "to seduce you to the point," he sucked on it, "where you beg me to give you relief."

Suddenly, as if he hadn't been touching her ever so wickedly, he backed away from her, leaving her flushed, hot and bothered.

"Come, we don't want the royal guards to be roaming the beautiful city of Konohagakure looking for you, do we?"

As she lay in her bead, still basking in the aftermath of the Uchiha's seduction, she cursed his name, she cursed the day she met him and most of all, she cursed the way he had her in his traps already.

* * *

The maids hustled and bustled, getting her ready to meet her betrothed, Prince _Nagazaki Ryu. _Even in her mind, his name dripped with venom.

As usual, her ladies in waiting started sharing the juiciest pieces of gossip that they heard while running their errands. A particular portion of the conversation caught her attention.

"Did you hear girls? Prince Sasuke is in town."

"Oh my, are you sure?" Another young maid exclaimed.

"Yes, Nami saw him. My god, she says he is better looking than ever."

"I doubt that is possible, have you seen him?"

"His body is thought to be carved by angels, and his eyes, those pools of ebony can really draw a woman into his traps."

"Oh, yes. I heard that his favorite hobby is to seduce the noble ladies, he beds them and then leaves them to deal with the shame."

An older maid scoffed, "Well, if they allow themselves to fall for him then, it's their own bloody fault."

"I hope we can see him tonight, he was invit-

"WHAT?" despite the years and years that Sakura spent learning the rules of etiquette and proper behavior, she could not stop herself from shouting in horror at the idea of the man she had almost sinned with the night before showing up in her ball.

"My…my lady…is something…wrong?" the terrified maid could not find a reason for her mistress' outburst.

"What were you saying? About the prince of Otogakure attending the ball?"

"Yes, I was told that he received an invitation, but I do not know if he will be attending for sure."

A middle aged servant asked, "May I know the reason for your upset? Why would the attendance of the prince bother you?"

"He…I mean, he had many encounters with the ladies that are coming…I hate for that fact to ruin the evening, that's all." She prayed to god that they would believe her excuse.

One of the younger servants laughed, "Oh, I would not worry about that, Hime, Uchiha-san only acts improper between the sheets, and he is a perfect gentleman, otherwise. That's what I hear anyway."

Sakura had trouble believing that. Such a wicked man lacks the ability to act gentlemanly.

* * *

The Ball arrived sooner than she hoped and she found herself stuck to the arm of a man she barely knew, smiling at people she never met and dancing with men that had trouble discerning the appropriate pose of a waltz apparently. Perverted grumps.

Her eyes would not cease their quest of trying to locate the unusual dark hairstyle. All she could see were overbearing and factitious aristocrats.

She felt someone tap her shoulder; she turned to come face to face with the man that had her on the edge of her seat all evening.

"May I have this dance, Hime?"

"I…well, I do-"

"Uchiha-sama, it's an honor to see you here". Her betrothed interrupted her, greeting the prince before she had the chance to come up with an excuse.

"Well, I had to stop by, to congratulate you on this pleasant occasion. Her highness is an _extraordinary_ woman." She clenched her teeth at the tone he used when he described her; fighting the urge to cuss him and inwardly cursing her betrothed's naivety who continued to smile at the prince as if he hadn't just implied a previous knowledge of Sakura's nature.

"I couldn't agree more, now why don't you precede with the dance that you have asked?"

With restrained anger, she took his offered hand and let him lead her to the dance floor. Surprisingly, his hands were kept at an appropriate level.

"You have some nerve, you know? How could you say something like that, to my fiancé no less?" despite her poisonous tone, the happy mask remained.

"Well, aren't you glad that _Ryu _is so naïve?"

"What do you wish to accomplish, Uchiha?"

He twirled her expertly, pulling her to his arms once again. "Aw, princess, you wound me. You say that like I seek to sabotage your engagement, when you're the one who came to me with your own two feet."

"_Hush!_" she hissed."You are to repeat the events of last night to no one."

"So you are ordering me, now? Make no mistake, princess, I take orders from no one, not even you, the decision of whether or not to share the events of last night is mine to make."

The waltz continued effortlessly not mirroring the heated conversation that was taking place between the two royalties.

"Do you enjoy this? Do you find pleasure in shaming women? What good would it make to you to announce my mistakes?"

"I never said that I will announce your mistakes, I was simply making it clear that I can."

She fought the urge to whine at his manipulation. "Why do you torture me so?"

"Me? Torture you? I believe it is quite the opposite, dearest Sakura. You torture many men."

She glared at him, forgetting about keeping up appearances for a while, "You are incorrigible, Uchiha."

He chuckled at her expense, not at all offended by her words. "Have you ever been told that you display the most gorgeous expressions when you are angry?"

Luckily, the dance ended at that, saving her the embarrassment that was sure to follow his comment.

Her fiancé was at her arm the minute the Uchiha had left her. "You looked like you were having quite the conversation, care to tell me what it was about?"

She expertly placed the fake smile on before replying, "Just nonsensical topics, Prince Uchiha and I have known each other for quite a while."

He looked convinced with that. She should feel bad for fooling him, but it looked like Sasuke's influence has corrupted her beyond repair.

* * *

The hot springs always did the trick of relaxing her aching muscles. This particular source was secluded from the public eye and she came here whenever she felt like escaping the aristocratic world. The maids never questioned her whereabouts since she didn't come here often. The hot water felt good on her bare body. The trees that surrounded it added to the relaxing effect of it.

"Enjoying yourself, Hime?"

She jumped out of the water, forgetting her nude state, facing the intruder and blushed ten shades of red when she discovered his identity.

"Of course it's you." His eyes, dancing with amusement, stayed locked with hers for a few heartbeats, before they trailed down her bare body. She noticed his eyes roaming over her, remembering her state of undress; she shrieked and dived back into the water.

"Have you no shame?" She yelled, reaching for her clothes. She waited for him to turn around so she could dress herself, but he didn't.

"Do you mind?"

"Not at all." But he still made no move to turn.

"AGH." She screeched, aggravated by his behavior.

He smirked at her and faced the trees while she put her clothes on.

"Now, to what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" she asked sarcastically fully dressed.

He faced her, scoffing. "Don't flatter yourself, Hime, I did not come here for you, although, it was a nice coincidence."

He heard her grumble something along the lines of 'I could have sworn no one knew about this place.'

"How's prince charming?"

"If by your sarcastic and cynical words you mean, Ryu-kun, then he's fine, thank you for asking."

Her words did not sit well with him. "Ryu-kun, that is new."

She turned a fair shade of red. "W…well, yes, we will be sharing the rest of our lives together, it is only appropriate to refer to him affectionately."

Her tone and demeanor told him that she herself did not believe a word she said.

"No, you won't.

She looked at him, confused. "I won't what?"

He made a move to leave, his back to her he replied, "You won't be spending the rest of your life with him, yes, you could marry him in a glorious royal wedding, but your mind and heart will always be somewhere else, you'll be with him, in bed, and you'll be thinking of me. That is my promise to you."

After he left, Sakura was left to ponder on his words and how true they were. Sasuke Uchiha will not be leaving her mind anytime soon.

* * *

Their next encounter would be two months later, a night before her wedding, she sat on the edge of the river, her salty tears mixing with the water, the moon casting its light on her.

"It doesn't surprise me to see you here."

She lost the ability to be surprised by his unexpected visits.

"Yes, you were right, I was wrong, did you come here all the way from Sound to witness the fall of my mighty façade?"

"No." he answered slowly, seating himself next to her. "I came here to tell you that it is not over yet."

"Ran out of ideas to spite me? False hope is the only way you have to annoy me?"

"A sum of money is paid by the man to obtain a woman's hand in marriage. If the sum is paid by someone else, he loses all rights of betrothal. If I pay that money, then you'll be mine to claim."

She huffed a breath, her tears freezing in her eyes at his revelation.

"You will be spiting your father as you wished before, and escaping a marriage that you don't want."

"But I will be escaping from a marriage to another, right? I'll have to marry you."

"That's where your part of the deal comes, you have to tell me, genuinely, that you want me, do you Sakura? Do you want me?"

She scoffed. "Uchiha Sasuke, you insufferable bastard, I have wanted you since the day I met you, three years ago."

"Pride got in the way, huh?"

"I guess you know all about that, don't you? Now, for your part, I will not withstand infidelity, if you plan on sharing a bed with every woman you see while you're married to me, then I'll gladly marry Ryu."

"Worry not, my dear. When I want something, then it's for good."

"Do you promise?"

"I promised to make you want me, didn't I?"

And she had her word.

* * *

there you go, i hope it wasn't rushed, let me know what you think

ps. as i mentioned before, English is not my first language, i speak three languages: arabic, french and english. you are free to communicate with me using either of them. i adore making new friends, if you wish to befriend me, PM me and i shall give you my Facebook account and such.


	2. part 2

_you didn't think I'd leave you hanging did you?  
_

_a sorta super fast sequel that may be followed by another if i get enough reviews.  
_

_Ciao!  
_

_don't forget to review  
_

* * *

_Your highness, prince Ryu of the Amigakure Nagazaki clan,_

_I am certain that you are aware of your betrothed's disappearance. Have no fear, she is safe. I am sure you already fathomed that she is with me. I do not plan on giving her back. I am sending this message to warn you form starting a war. If you do attempt to seek vengeance, you will be engaging in a confrontation that neither you nor the King of Konoha is ready for. I advise you to accept the compensation that you were offered with, I am sure that it is much larger than the sum you paid, and that's to assure you that Sakura is most precious to me, I would anything to protect those precious to me. Consider this a token of peace._

_It is best for you to heed my warnings, Nagazaki-san._

_Prince Sasuke of the Otogakure Uchiha clan._

The blonde prince tore the parchment apart the second he finished reading it.

"What is the meaning of this, Father?" he asked enraged.

"I am certain that you don't lack the ability to read, son. Your betrothed, former betrothed, is in the hands of the Uchiha." The older king answered.

"I will not withstand this offense, I will-"

"Be quiet, son. What do you suggest we do? Go to war? The Uchiha is right; even if we join forces with Konoha we will be crushed. We are no match to the grand army of Oto."

"So we stand still? We do nothing?"

"Exactly. If you see him, you smile at him and congratulate him; you do not mention this affair, ever again. The king of Konoha received a similar letter and he agrees."

"Fools, cowards, that's what you are." The heir to the Amigakure left the throne room in a fit of rage.

The ride of Oto was…uncomfortable. Sasuke chuckled and mocked her every time she made him stop because the pain between her legs became unbearable.

"Cease your mockery Uchiha. It is your own fault for choosing this form of transportation." She grumbled at him, nursing the pain in her thighs despite knowing that he was watching her.

"What would you have me do, your highness? I travel light, you can't expect me to take carriages, can you?" he replied, leaning against a tree bark.

"Why does Oto have to be so far from Konoha anyway? I couldn't even fetch some of my dresses, am I supposed to keep wearing this," she gestured to her cloak that covered the nightgown she wore the night before." for the rest of my life?"

He growled annoyed by her whining, "We have dresses in Otogakure, you know? And there isn't much left to go. We will cross the border of Sound as soon as we pass this forest, now come. We have to go now if we wish to make it home before night."

Home, that's what Sound will be to her from now on. Somehow, that thought did not disturb her.

He made a move to help her mount his horse, she grumbled but complied nonetheless. She'll just have to ask for ice when they reach the castle.

Soon enough, she fell asleep on his chest, she was riding on the front, and he took advantage of the lack of constant stops.

"Sakura, Sakura." He called softly. "We are here."

Her eyes fluttered open and she fought back a yawn. Her eyes focused on the road and she noticed a large gate with a musical note on it.

"Is this the border?" she muttered.

"No, we have already passed that, this is the gate to the Royal village. It hosts the nobles and merchants and of course, the royal family."

A guard noticed them from the watch tower and rang a bell. The gates were opened soon after. Guards greeted them at the door, welcoming their prince.

The path they took was paved; beautiful houses were all she saw. Gardens of all kinds and sizes greeted her eyes. She was awed. Konoha was known for its verdure and grandeur, it is the land of leaf after all. But, none of it compared to this. The Royal village had an intricate structure, she could see that this place was built to impress.

"Is it to your liking?" "Yes, it's…magnificent."

They stopped in front of another golden gate. Behind it stood the castle surrounded by green gardens and Koi ponds, Sasuke guided the horse to a detour heading for the stable.

A man helped her down and she resisted the urge to rub between her legs. The young stable boy took the horse from Sasuke after bowing to them.

Sasuke seized her hand and led her towards a door that opened to the gardens right beside the door to the castle.

Servants and guards greeted them; shooting curious looks at her and those who recognized her gasped and gossiped.

"Welcome, young master. Shall I inform the King of your return?"

"Thank you, Saori, and yes. You may tell father, but tell him to expect us much later, the journey was long and tiring."

"As you wish, my lord, I will leave you to rest."

They took spiral stairs that seemed to take forever. At last, they stopped on the last floor. The hallways of this floor were empty. It had exactly two doors, one at the end of the corridor and another at the beginning. They headed for the last.

Sasuke opened the door an ushered her in. she was met with a large suite, a huge bed 4 posts bed occupied the middle and divided the chamber in two. One side had a closet that took the whole wall and a changing screen; the other had a piano, a mahogany desk. The whole room was a combination of dark and light, crème walls, dark sheets and furniture, simple but elegant, just like the man behind her, which brought a new question.

"Whose quarters are these?" she inquired.

"Mine. I'll give you a tour of the rest of the Palace later."

She looked appalled. "Do you expect us to stay in the same room while we're not married?"

"Just in the mean time, I am sure a chamber is being prepared for you as we speak." The simplicity he spoke with irritated her. How is she going to spend the rest of her life with this man?

"What is behind the other door?" Her curiosity got the best of her.

"It's divided into two spaces, one has a dojo to train, and the other has a bath house which I am sure you'll enjoy right now."

A bath sounded like heaven right now.

"I'll leave you to freshen up; a maid will provide you with the dresses you were grumbling about earlier."

And with that he left.

She wondered around the room, her muscles ached so she lied on the bed. It was comfortable and it smelled oddly like Sasuke.

Would he claim her now? Surely he would wait till they were married, right?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock.

"Enter." She called fixing herself as much a she could in a cloak and a nightgown.

A shy maid entered, followed by two others carrying multiple gowns in their arms.

"Young Master asked us to deliver these for you, he hopes they are to your liking, at least until you have the opportunity to buy some yourself."

"If your ladyship pleases we will lead you to the bath house."

Sakura felt refreshed already.

It was an hour later that Sasuke came to fetch her. Naturally, he found her getting dressed.

"I think that there is no point in asking you if you have any shame." She motioned for him to turn around, holding her dress to her front. He chose not to taunt her and complied.

"You are a strange woman, I've seen you nude, I touched you in places that no one has-

"Don't say that, Sasuke. Someone could hear you." She hissed.

He finished as if he hadn't heard her. "And yet, you act so innocent. I guess I'll have to change that."

In his voice she heard dark promises that sent shudders down her spine.

"Come, my parents are waiting for us." She took his outstretched hand and let him take her to a large dining room.

Butterflies danced in her belly when she noticed the Royal family seated waiting for them to commence the meal.

"Ah, little brother, I can see why you'd steal such a woman."

"Jokes aside, Itachi." Fugaku's deep voice made her more nervous. "Just when I thought that you can surprise me no longer, you do something like this." Despite his words, he sounded more amused than disappointed. "Tell me, son, what are you going to do if the Prince decides to avenge his honor?"

"Fear not, Father." Sasuke answered pulling a chair for Sakura and taking the one next to her. "I warned him in a letter when I sent him the funds."

The family laughed. "You have some nerve, brother. You steal the man's wife and threaten him too?"

"Betrothed not wife and I stole no one. Sakura came with me willingly."

"I just hope you won't regret this, princess." His father stated.

"Indeed, you may be seduced and charmed by his looks and personality, now but who knows?"

"Oh, hush you two, Sasuke is a wonderful man and I am sure that Sakura agrees."

All Sakura could do was nod. Shouldn't they be enraged, aggravated? Sasuke sensed her wonder and answered her.

"My family is used to my…shall we say…antics, so they lost the ability to be surprised."

"You have done this before?" she asked offended.

"Oh, no. you are special."

She shook her head at him and resumed her meal. This beats her marriage with Ryu by miles.

In…... their room, she faced Sasuke who begun to undress.

"What…what are you doing?" he paused midway through taking off his shirt. She averted her eyes when his delicious upper body was revealed to her.

"Undressing." He began slowly. "Because it is night, time to sleep?" She growled at his tone, he was talking to her as if she was a child.

"I am aware of that, Prince Uchiha. I'm still here."

"And I am aware of that."

She turned her back to him, cursing her luck for falling for such a naughty man.

"You never told me that this could result in a war." She called from behind the changing screen where she went to put on her sleep wear.

"That's because it can't end in a war. I apologize for my choice of word, but your father and your dear Ryu-kun are too cowardly to engage in a war with Oto."

"Why are nobles so terrified of Oto? What did you do?" she exited the area to find him shirtless lying on the bed. He patted the space next to him; she chose to ignore it in favor of brushing her hair by the dresser.

"Konoha is famous for their crops, Ami for their ports and Suna for their precious metals." She nodded her head trying to find the connection between her question and his answer. Sensing her confusion he continued, "Oto has all three; Konoha's corps go through our ports to reach the ones of Ami. The metals extracted from Suna's mines are actually manufactured here, because they lack the proper equipments and knowledge necessary to do it themselves. Not to mention, they are aware of the viciousness of our army since it stood behind them in most of their wars. Bottom line, your father, Ryu's father understand this and know that a conflict with us is not in their best interest."

She processed his words and came to one conclusion. "You had all this planned; your proposal to me was not a spur of the moment thing, was it?"

He sat up and left the bed to stand behind her. His fingers ran through her soft rose locks she let him since she thought of the movement as innocent. Their reflection on the mirror did not convey the oddity of their relationship. Instead, they looked like a happy couple, so in live.

"I realize that, to you, my intentions are still unclear." He bent his head to be at ears level with her and whispered. "Believe me when I say this, Sakura. What I desire from you is not your body. Not just that. I want all of you, body, mind and soul. All of it, Sakura since the day I met you, I knew that I will never feel the same for another." He placed a kiss on her neck. Sakura prayed that he could not feel her pulse going out of control. "Crois en moi, ma chère, je t'aime. "

She gasped in surprise for two reasons, his awareness of her passion for the French language and his unexpected confession.

"My feeling for you are genuine, never doubt that. Ever." He turned her body to face him and he knelt between her legs, studying her expression.

"I may seem debonair and act like a perverted bastard all of the time, but you hold a place so dear in my heart that no girl has ever been, ever since that day I saw you watching me spar with your older brother." He chuckled."You aren't very good at spying. You are very bad at it, actually."

She let out a watery laugh at his revelation. "I heard the maids talking about this Greek god that came to visit my father, I had to see for myself, and just like that I was caught. I think that was the day I fell for you. "If she thought that Sasuke was charming when smirking, it doesn't compare to when he smiled. " Or maybe it was when we were introduced later that evening and you tried to…"

"Seduce you?" he supplied helpfully making her cuff him upside the head.

"Yes, it was very inappropriate, mind you."

Sasuke regained the mischievous air."Well how was I to behave, when you taunted me so with your plump curvaceous body, I'd say the heavens were very generous to you, even at age 17 you had the body of a goddess." He picked her up, bridal style and he laid her on his bed. "I long to see what lies under those clothes, Sakura, alas, until we marry, I can only imagine."

"T…that's right…so move away, before I…" she blushed and looked away unable to finish her threats.

He chuckled. "Relax your highness. I keep my promises and I promise not to touch you till our wedding. After that, you are mine." He emphasized his words with a kiss to her face. "Mine to touch," kiss, "mine to kiss," kiss, "mine to _have." _Kiss.

A soft look crossed her face. "You can never stay on the sentimental matters, can you? You are obsessed with intimacy, aren't you?"

"Soon, Sakura. Soon, I will erase this innocence, soon I will taint you."

He didn't need to swear a promise for her to realize that it was that. She looked forward to her life with this unpredictable Sasuke.


	3. author note

Dear readers,

I realize that I should not add A/N chapter but I had to after the wonderful review I received from you. A lot of you have asked for a sequel or a multi chapter story, I want you to know that I am not dismissing the idea entirely, I am simply going to delay it for the following reasons:

I have exams this week, our country's educational system is different that the one in, say, America which means I get nine exams crammed into a week, ,needless to say, it's exhausting and time consuming.

I simply can't see how Prince charming going into a multi chapter story, sure I can do a wedding, kids, wars then what?

I have a bad habit of not knowing when to end a story, I am afraid that if I do add chapters the story will drag on and on as usual, and it could be ruined.

You guys asked for a lemon, I fear that I am still inexperienced (no pun intended, even if I am, well…inexperienced ) to write a full blown love scene, maybe sometime in the near future after I get comfortable enough to do that.

Fear not! I fully intend on entertaining your wishes, I will get to work on a new chapter after this Wednesday May 9th . Hopefully by that time, I would have the inspiration necessary to type a chapter that won't disappoint.

Thanks a lot to all those who reviewed, special thanks to the anonymous reviewer andy-chan who took the time to criticize my work constructively, these kinds of reviews are the dearest to my heart. And thanks a bunch to all those who faved or put Prince charming on their alert list. I appreciate it a lot, it made my day.

Without further ado, till later.

Hime-chan

Ps. Yes, Sasuke did say he loves her in French, I forgot to put the translation.

Crois en moi, ma chère, je t'aime = believe in me, my dear, I love you.


	4. part 3

__I am so so so sorry for the long wait, i was absent from home for almost a month, no INTERNET no computer, I just go home today, I am worn out but I got it done.

Special thanks to Andy_Chan who is a wonderful friend and proof reader, she helped me a lot, I miss you, girl.

with no further ado, part three

* * *

_Flash back_

"_My lady, my lady." A perky maid rushed into the music room where Sakura was practicing on her cello._

"_What is it, Mai?" the princess knew not to be alarmed, Mai's idea of an emergency was the newest piece of gossip her wondering ears caught._

"_A Greek god, my lady, an angel walking among the humans." Mai answered in a dream like state._

_Sakura paused her playing to face the servant. "What in the name of all that is holy are you blabbering about?"_

"_His majesty received the Prince of Oto as his guest and his highness, your brother, led the prince to the dojo. My god, I swear he is the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. You must see for yourself." She exclaimed, almost dragging her mistress in her haste._

"_Slow down, Mai. What business do I have with this man?"_

"_Oh, but you have to steal a glimpse, just one."_

_Knowing that the brunette will not give up, the princess complied._

_One thing she knew for sure, the damn nut was not lying. The two girls hid behind one of the pillars so that they'd have a good angle of the training area but remain unseen._

_Her brother was bent at the waist, hands on his knees and out of breath, his sword lay at his feet and obviously he was defeated. Her green orbs darted to the foreign prince._

_Her eyes widened the second she saw his half naked form, he had a superior look on his face, one that screamed victory, from the mere way he held his katana she was certain that he was skilled. After all, not many won against Daisuke._

_His dark hair stood in the most bizarre hairstyle she had ever seen, pale skin stretched over well defined muscles, save for a few scars here and there that marked him as a warrior, it was unmarred. The most striking feature about him was his eyes, the onyx jewels stared right at her and-_

_Wait a second, right at her?_

_With a gasp that was too loud for her liking, she pulled away from her hiding spot urging her companion to follow her back into her room. As she leaned against the door, she placed her hand on her palpitating heart, in a futile attempt to slow it down._

"_Do you (pant) think (gasp) they saw us?" Mai panted beside her. She glared at the poor girl._

"_This is your entire fault, what am I going to do if they did see us?" she hissed at her._

_The 18 year old servant looked sheepish and rightfully guilty._

"_I meant no harm, my lady." She muttered, before quickly regaining the mischievous air." Although, it was worth it, was it not?"_

_The princess smiled, unable to hold a grudge, "Yes, he is rather pretty."_

_**The evening, after dinner **_

_Sakura sat on a wooden bench in their gardens, enjoying the spring breeze._

"_Enjoyed watching the spar, your highness?" _

_She shrieked in a way that was unbecoming of a princess and jumped off her sitting spot, the owner of the velvet voice stood behind her._

"_Are you alright?" He asked in feigned concern, she knew that it was not real due to the mocking smirk on his handsome face._

"_P-prince U-Uchiha, you startled me." She brushed invisible dirt from her skirts and faced the royalty._

"_Is that right? I apologize then, but you've failed to answer my question." _

_The blush that she chased away earlier made its presence known once again on her plump cheeks._

"_I don't know what you are referring to." She answered, her voice regaining the touch of aristocratic pride._

_He chuckled, "My mistake then, I suppose it was another rose haired maiden that I saw earlier, no harm done." She has just met the man, and already his pretended innocence irritated her._

"_I've heard rumors," He begun, pulling her out of her thoughts, "About the beautiful lady that occupied the Leaf palace, I fear that your people don't describe you quite adequately."_

_Her nostrils flared and she prepared to lash out on him when his next words interrupted her. "Luscious is more like it, a luscious little vixen." He whispered._

_Her mouth dropped. "I believe that the words you say are highly inappropriate." Her tone was hard and reprimanding._

"_Oh, but I speak the truth, Sa-ku-ra." With predatory steps he approached the fearful lady until he was a breath's distance from her._

"_I-I don't remember permitting you to address me by my first name." she whispered in a last attempt to stop his dangerous approach._

_He chuckled darkly, "I do not require your permission, Sakura." Her name said in such a mocking way that her hackles rose._

"_I advise you to step away, right this instant or I will-"_

"_Scream?" he finished for her. "I don't recommend that._

_When she tried to make distance between her flushed body and his built physique, his muscular arm stilled her in place._

"_I don't desire to hurt you, I simply" he started huskily and with each word he said the length between them lessened. "wanted to catch a glimpse of the so called' la belle de Konoha '." His lips were now mere millimeters apart from her own, and in her stupor, she did nothing about it. His charcoal eyes shifted their attention from her parted mouth to her jade eyes and a devilish smirk crawled onto his face. "We shall meet again, my lady."_

_And he left her in the courtyard, wondering if what she had just witnessed was a mere product of her own naughty imagination._

_End of flashback _

* * *

The Palace of Sound bustled with the scurrying maids in a rush to finish the preparations to the upcoming wedding. It was a grand event to all those who knew the notorious prince and his habits. It was a surprise to all the noble mass that occupied Oto but it was received with good grace.

Sakura was even more surprised with the warmth that the people received her with, the residents of Oto had a bad reputation of being prejudiced and intolerant of outsiders, not to mention that the rosette was to become their princess, but the soon-to-be bride quickly realized that those rumors were untrue, she was well treated.

The queen of Sound herself was so much unlike her own mother, lady Haruno was a cold woman with no worries other than her social status and ranks, she talked to no one of the public and only acknowledged those of high ranks, she allowed her own daughter to be forced into a marriage she didn't want because she believed that it would be best for their country. Mikoto was different, she was elegant and imperious, her gracious presence demanded attention and respect and yet she remained humble and kind.

Itachi teased and taunted his younger brother as if it was his favorite pass time, she was teased and taunted by association, however she fancied the moments they spent sharing fruitful pieces of conversation.

Uchiha Fugaku confused her the most; he was an efficient leader, one that raised Sound to what it is today, but he emitted a cold aura that physically sent chills down her spine every time she caught his gaze, it reminded her so much of her own parent that she felt a pang of sadness evade her each time they crossed paths.

"Lady Haruno." A soft voice pulled her from her haze, she turned her body, away from the sights that Sasuke's balcony offered, to face the maid that had called her.

"Yes?"

"It is time for the final fitting of your gown, if you would please, follow me."

She smiled and nodded her head, taking the maid's lead.

She was met with dozens of maids as well as her future mother in law.

The queen greeted her with a short embrace an ushered her behind a changing screen where two maids aided her.

After a while she stepped out from behind the screen and faced the crowd that anticipated her exit.

Her wedding dress was, like tradition in Sound stated, crimson in color, with an elaborate design that was tailored by the best seamstresses in the width of Japan, silver sewing adorned the red fabric in a design of flowers and leaves. It was a halter gown, one that seemed to be made out of two parts, the skirt flows from the waist to form a circle at her feet.

Sakura fell in love with it the minute she saw it, it made the dull white gown that she was supposed to wear to her _first _wedding seem like a peasant's dress.

"It looks magnificent on you." Mikoto commented.

"Yes, you look beautiful, my lady. Sasuke-sama will adore you." A servant added.

Sakura blushed and muttered a soft 'thank you'

Mikoto's face brightened with excitement and she exclaimed, "Now, hurry child we still need to confirm with the cooks and the florists, everything must be perfect for tomorrow's big event.

Yes, her wedding is tomorrow.

In the end, the preparations and confirmations, took the whole day. There was a slight issue with the florists, but it was solved quickly.

Sometime after dinner she headed to her quarters, or Sasuke's quarters really, she had agreed to stay with him at the promise to keep any inappropriate behaviors at bay.

Sakura had many qualms about the night she promised him, she was ignorant to the _activities_ that would take place tomorrow night. She called herself a hypocrite, wasn't she prepared to give herself to him for one night just a few months ago? That night was a result of the rage and despair that the engagement that was sprung on her evoked, but her wedding night is different, it was so much more special that an act of rebellion.

She opened the double door to her chambers, not expecting to see the form of her husband to be seated on the chair by the desk.

"Sasuke." she hissed. "You are not supposed to be here."

It was common law for the bride and groom to separate on the night before their wedding, Sasuke was oblivious to such tradition apparently.

He laughed quietly and put up his hands. "Relax, now. I am here to inform you of an evolvement then I will be on my way."

She studied him suspiciously. "What evolvement?"

The pause he took clued her in on the seriousness of the situation.

"Invitations have been sent to your father and Ryu, we just received the confirmation." He replied somberly.

She bit her lip and stayed silent for a few heartbeats, "I-I suppose it was bound to happen sometime, thank you for informing me."

He nodded at her and stood to leave the chamber, when his shoulder brushed past hers he whispered, "You know that I will not, under any circumstance, let anyone harm you."

Yes." She breathed back.

"Good." That was the last thing she heard before the soft slamming of the door.

She hugged herself and prayed that the heavy feeling that settled itself inside her is but a product of the pre-wedding jitters.

* * *

The morning came before she had the chance to blink an eye.

In a span of two hours, she had been handled by more arms that she could count. Her dress was pulled over her head before she had the chance to fit in a good morning, her hair still damp from the bath she was pushed in, was styled and braided by maids and servants that she hasn't even met.

In the span of five hours she was declared ready to be the bride of the century. The ceremony was to be conducted early to make room for the festivities that would take place later in celebration of the wedding of the prodigal prince.

Before she knew it, she was standing in the hall that she was supposed to wait in.

The wedding tradition that are followed in Oto are different than her own, for one, instead of being led to her groom by her father, a member of the husband's family takes the job.

A knock sounded on the door and she pushed down any fears and worries she had.

"Enter."

She was met with the sight of the crown prince. "Are you ready?"

All she could do was nod.

She looped her arm through his and let him lead her to the ball room.

The ball room was converted into an inside garden, the length of the aisle was covered in roses and flowers of all kinds that spread a rich fragrance. Invites stood when they approached, she forced her eyes not to look for her kin. In the end of the aisle, stood ever the handsome Sasuke in his military garb, ceremonial sword on his side. Right in front of him, stood the man that was to wed them.

They reached the end before she had the chance to study her surroundings, her arm was placed in Sasuke's and Itachi took his place by his parents. Sasuke looked comfortable and she envied him for his calmness. Her face was concealed by her veil and she was grateful for that.

"We are gathered here to witness the joining of these two souls in holy matrimony, our prince, Sasuke of the Otogakure Uchiha clan and princess Sakura of the Konohagakure Haruno clan, with the blessing of the lord, we shall begin."

Sasuke took that as his sign to lean in front of the preacher, Sakura did the same.

"Do you, Sasuke Uchiha, take this woman to be you lawfully wedded wife, your lover, your princess through better or worse?"

"I do." The prince said with a clear voice.

"Do you, Sakura Haruno, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, your lover, your prince?"

"I do." She marveled on the strength that dripped from her voice.

A drop of water, from the same rose filled bowl, was put on each of their heads as a symbol of purification so that their vows are valid.

The preacher turned to grab a two rings tied by a red from tray behind him and mentioned for them to rise.

The first ring went in Sasuke's hand, then hers.

"Let this thread be a symbol of the unity of your souls." The thread was cut. "And let this cut be a symbol of your separate bodies."

"One soul, two bodies." Sasuke said and she repeated.

"I now pronounce you, husband and wife, prince and princess." The elderly gestured to Sakura.

"You my now, kiss your bride."

Sasuke smiled at her and pulled her veil to expose her wet face. His cool lips met hers in a short appropriate peck.

The crowd cheered and clapped.

Her husband took her hand and led her down the aisle where they would find the festivities in the Royal gardens.

A quartet occupied the platform that was preset; the music was already playing when the crowd settled in the garden.

She danced with Sasuke and then was claimed for the father-daughter dance.

When she found herself in the arms of the graying man, she could not stop her heart from beating so loud it felt like it was struggling to leave the confines of her chest.

The elder Haruno remained silent, not far from them her dashing husband twirled the lovely Uchiha Mikoto.

"Father-"she started but was interrupted by the stern voice of said man.

"Don't. We are not discussing this here, what you did was-"he stopped himself, discretely shaking his head. "It matters not, what is done is done."

Luckily the song ended at that, and she was pulled into the arms of her new brother-in-law.

"No troubles I assume?" itachi asked, concerned.

She chose to shake her head; she didn't trust her own voice.

There was a moment of quietness when a new arrival entered through the golden gates.

She looked behind Itachi's form to spot the blonde man that was supposed to be her husband. His posture held an air of superiority as if he wasn't the one that was left a night prior to his wedding. In a moment of utter disgust, she came to the realization that had Sasuke not came to her that night, she would be anticipating her night with this greedy man and a sense of gratitude settled itself in her.

The betrayed Prince walked to the Uchiha, the attendants held their breath awaiting the moment of destruction, it never came. Instead, Ryu held out his hand in a false act of respect.

"Congratulations, Uchiha-san."

The crowd exhaled.

Sakura never felt more relieved than she did, now, it felt like a mounting had been lifted of her shoulders. And for the first time, on that beautiful sunny day, she allowed herself to enjoy her wedding day, she felt truly happy and that's where she should have started to worry.

The evening progressed beautifully, she shared various dances with multiple noble men, and her brother smiled at her and said that he never thought Ryu to be fit of her, anyway.

She found herself in her husband's arms once again after dark took over the garden and the lanterns were lit to shed their light on the fields.

"In the end there was nothing for you to worry about." Sasuke whispered.

She smiled. "Yes, once again Sasuke Uchiha proves his inability to ever be wrong. We shall bow down to your mightiness." She replied mockingly, in response he dipped her so suddenly that she yelped, fortunately, she was not loud enough to attract attention.

"You insufferable man." She hissed at him.

The only response she got was a deep chuckle.

There was a clapping noise and their attention was shifted to the one that made the sound.

It turned out that Ryu, was right behind them the entire time, standing at four feet away from the newlyweds.

"I think we shall all take a moment to really congratulate these two. " The blonde begun, he raised his glass of wine. "To the shameless prince and the traitorous princess, may they live long to betray each other."

Sasuke's eyes darkened at the man and he opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by the Prince of Amigakure drawing his sword.

The invitees gasped at the bold movement, Sakura's hand went to cover her mouth as Sasuke pushed her behind him.

"I think you abused the wine, Ryu." Sasuke hissed with venom dripping from his voice.

The man with the sun kissed hair cackled. "Oh, now, dear Prince Sasuke. I have never been more sane that I am now." His blade poised, he circled the bride and groom. A guard's hand shot out to pull her form the commotion and Sasuke let go easily drawing his own sword.

"Did you really think that I would let you have her? Have what is mine?" Ryu shouted.

"She was never yours to begin with." He spat and motioned to the guards to stay put. This was his own battle.

The arm of his nemesis swung the Katana, aiming to chop his head, the strike was easily blocked. All the others could hear were the sounds of metal hitting metal. The opponents locked swords and eyes.

"I claimed her before you did, you took her from me, I bought her."

Sasuke pushed him away. "Bought her? She is not an item. She is a person and she chose me."

Ryu recovered from the fall and lunched at the prince of Oto. "She had no right to choose." He bellowed.

Still delivering powerful swings, Sasuke yelled back, "You don't own her. She is free."

The attacks of the blond grew savage and uncalculated; he thrust his sword in a random way. "The king gave her to me, I paid-"

He was interrupted by the sudden plunge of Sasuke's katana that knocked his own blade from his hand. He held his appendage where it was struck, blood staining his crème clothes.

He raised his head to be met by the sharp head of the glistening Kusanagi.

"She was not his to give." Sasuke spat through clenched teeth. "Have you no dignity? To force yourself on a woman that does not want you?"

"Make no mistake, Uchiha. I have no desire for that who-"

The blade now stood dangerously between his eyes, making him go cross eyes at the attempt to stare at it. "_You_ make no mistake, just because I haven't killed you yet, doesn't mean I wouldn't. Don't tempt me to carve a hole in your face."

The prince looked at his soldiers and barked, "Take him."

He turned to where his bride was supposed to be, as the mess of a prince was seized, but was met with the sight of his brother.

"She is not well, mother took her."

The pale prince nodded sharply and left the chaos for his brother to handle; he passed the king of Amigakure and spat, "I suggest you take your pathetic excuse of a son and disappear."

On his way into the palace and on the corridor leading to his quarters he encountered his mother.

She explained before he had the chance to ask. "I fear that she is in a terrible shape, his words were rather harsh, and she said she would like to stay alone." He cursed under his breath; his mother went on as if she hadn't noticed. "I would advise that you stay by her side, though." The woman placed her hand on his shoulder and said, "Reassure her."

She stroked his cheek before leaving, to take care of the mess, no doubt.

He knocked on the mahogany doors but received no answer. Her sobs could be heard from behind the thick wooden doors.

He shook his head and entered. He found her buried in a sea of pillows and silk sheets, still in her stunning dress that occupied the entire width of the huge bed.

Her sobs broke his heart. He felt her pain, physically.

He knelt beside her, his hand going to stroke her back in what he thought was a comforting motion, but her sobs only grew louder.

"Sakura…" he was at loss of words. "Je déteste de te voir pleurer. Arrête, je t'en prie."

"Ça fait mal, ça fait vraiment mal." She whispered through her sobs and tears. He let her be and waited for her to speak.

"Is that all I am? A trophy?" Her voice began to rise. "Do I have a price? When did I become purchasable?" she bellowed.

"My own father, my bloody father sold me like a prostitute. He stood there; listening to what Ryu said and said nothing. NOTHING!"

He sighed and settled himself next to her, his back to the bed. "My own father was never, ah, good to me." He figured that telling her about his own father complex would take her mind off her own. His own chest tightened with old pain.

"Everything I did, everything I said, was never good enough; I was never up to his standards."

As his story progressed, her sobs quieted. "Itachi was, and still is, his pride and joy, I trained day and night, whatever my brother did, I did better, the sword became an extension of my arm and running became easier than walking by the time I turned ten but I was still inadequate. So I stopped."

"Stopped trying to impress him?" she inquired croakily.

"Yes, I realized that his approval was not the key to my happiness. "He chuckled. "I did the opposite instead. I transferred all that effort to angering him. I did everything he hated, drank heavily, I slept with various women-"

"Are you telling me that the reason for you scandalous encounters is your _father?_" she exclaimed disbelievingly.

He laughed. "Yes and no. See, I took a liking to my 'scandalous encounters'," she punched him, he winced and nursed the abused shoulder, "but that stopped soon enough. Have you ever been told that you hit like a wrestler?" That earned him another slug.

"What do you mean?"

"I came to the conclusion that I was just as miserable, so I decided to live for what I want and do what I want. I would have never took…" he trailed off when he realized that he was drawing her attention back to the subject he was trying to distract her from.

She shook her head. "It's okay, I am well now." Her gaze saddened. "The night is ruined though."

He smirked devilishly. "Well, we are still married, so…" he trailed off suggestively.

She was puzzled for a moment, but it dawned on her soon enough. "AGH." She screeched. "Only you would be thinking about…about _that _in a situation like this."

He looked at her innocently, "But you promised."

She hit him with a pillow. He stood before he received any more of her destructive strikes; she went to sit on her knees immediately and asked, "Where are you going?"

He stood by the door. "You need to have some time for yourself. I'll be back later."

When he was halfway out of the door she exclaimed in panic, "Sasuke,"

He poked his head. "Yes?"

She bowed her head. "Don't…don't leave me."

Somehow, he knew she wasn't referring to now. He smiled.

"Jamais."

* * *

THIS is not the end I have another part planned out and if things work out it will contain a lemon, so stay tuned.

I am so sorry to those who wanted a lemon, but like I said it should be in the next part.

tell me what you think!


	5. part 4

Hello, I'm proud of this fast update!

I am super mad at FFn, because I know I promised you a lemon, but due to the new no Mature Adult material that proved to be impossible. I had to delete 2000 words because I don't want the story to be deleted. I'm not happy with how this revised version turned out, I had a lot of things stuffed into the lemon and now it's gone.

anyway, enjoy the chapter.

* * *

Sakura left the soft confines of her resting place, she had fallen asleep in her wedding gown glory, and surprisingly the dress remained intact and true to its superior nature. The space beside her was empty, and it obviously had not been slept in. There was an uncomfortable feeling on her cheeks, with unusual difficulty; she walked to the stone basin that was built in the balcony. She washed the traces of sleep and dry tears from her eyes and headed towards her wardrobe to pick a nightwear. Her hand went for one of the conservative gowns she dons around her mischievous husband, but she hesitated, her appendage falling short of the blue gown, instead it went to smooth the crimson fabric she was wearing. This night was supposed to be their night, she was supposed to give herself to him as she promised, but the events that took place changed things.

She smiled at the fact that he did not hold her to her word; he was understanding and considerate despite having waited for this moment for weeks.

The princess bit her lip, contemplating an idea, before sitting herself on the edge of the bed, hands on her lap, hoping that her new found determination would last.

Sasuke entered the chamber a while later and froze at the sight of her still wide awake.

"Sakura? I thought you went to sleep." He said confused.

She stayed silent and stood from the bed, and approached her husband slowly, eyes stuck to the floor.

He received her form with open arms, pulling her to him by the hips, his eyes questioning.

She cleared her throat. "I was thinking." She paused and her lip, once again, became the victim of her teeth. Her hands left her sides and she placed them on his built chest, still covered in the ceremonial army garb. "We…I shouldn't, ah, let what happened earlier…ruin the evening."

His charcoal eyes widened, perfectly shaped eyebrows rising, he waited for any sign that would deny the obvious, he found none, he was suddenly reminded of that night months ago, the night he almost had her. "Do we understand each other, Sakura?" he asked. "Are you saying that-"

"Yes. "She interrupted. Her dainty hands directed his own to the tie behind her neck, urging him to undo it, but his slim digits froze in place.

"You…" he trailed off, seemingly unable to word his thoughts correctly. "I can wait." He finally stated

She giggled softly, shaking her head. "I was ready, Sasuke. I was ready to give you myself, months ago. And I was ready this morning." She stroked his cheek. "Nothing changed."

She was certain of her feelings towards Sasuke, she was certain of his feelings towards her and that awarded her with courage. She also drew courage from her night of rebelliousness, this time she was doing it for the right reasons.

Sure, she was still afraid, terrified really. She heard stories about the first night where there would be awkwardness and embarrassment which would result in a more painful terrible experience. Lucky for her, her partner was experienced enough to make up for her lack of knowledge concerning the activities that would take place. She was not ignorant of the physical mechanism but she had no insight on what to do or wh-

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt warm lips place themselves on her own plump ones. At that, she promised herself to quit over thinking and just enjoy the experience.

Her arms went around his neck, as her lower lip was caught between his own. He flushed her further against him and cupped her heart shaped face while still caressing her mouth. At last, she started participating, moving her lips shyly, he responded with kissing her more feverishly. Sasuke's clever tongue darted out to push between her lips. When he figured out that she was clueless to his demand of permission, he decided to give her a push. She gasped when his hands, which previously stroked her cheeks, squeezed her derriere. The prince seized the opportunity and invaded her sweet cavern. The wet muscle discovered the insides of her mouth before she took the hint and allowed her tongue to play with his.

It became clear to him that she needed air and the Uchiha withdrew in favor of laying baby kisses on her throat. Instinctively, she arched her neck, giving him more room to do as he pleased; breathless groans and sighs escaped her swollen lips as a reaction. His hands traveled to her neck, finishing the forgotten task of ridding her of her dress. Still caught in the heat of the moment, she was oblivious to his actions. His next quest was to untie the laces behind her back.

The rosette choked on her saliva when her dress lay pooled at her feet, exposing her nude form to the naughty husband and the cool air of spring. She panicked and covered her front with her arms but the prince stopped her.

"No, don't hide." Gently, he pried her limbs open.

Her emerald orbs locked with his own onyx jewels. She saw the caring and gentleness and every aspect of him told her that he would treat her body as if it was sacred. The gentle smile that adorned his face clashed with the lustful expression he had.

For a whole minute, she forgot her state of undress and focused on the beauty of the situation.

She stood on her tiptoes and whispered in her husband's ear. "Je te fais confiance."

Her sheet covered chest heaved with her struggle for breathing, beside her she could hear the lessening pants of her husband. With her peripheral vision, she caught sight of his exhausted form, his hand covered his eyes.

Sakura never felt so…_sated. _She recalled his last words before he thrust into her.

"_Ça sera la première et la dernière fois que je te fais mal."_

He promised and he fulfilled, as always. She would never forget his kind touches and she knew that this will be the best night of her life, of their lives.

She turned on her side and inched closer to his sweaty skin. Her lips found his chest and she lingered for a second.

"Thank you." She whispered. He looked at her for a few heartbeats and then smiled like she has never seen him do before and pulled her to lie properly in his arms.

"Mmh."

Contentment, that's what she felt. No wonder the bastard kept insisting on it.

* * *

The new bride awoke alone in the humongous bed.

The sheets were rumpled, she cast her eyes across the room and she failed to see the scattered clothes that occupied the floor the night before. He dress was draped over a chair nearby and her husband's clothes were missing. At the thought of her husband, she felt disappointment settle itself in her chest. She thought they would wake together.

As if on cue the door was swung open. Instinctively, she pulled the dark sheets to her ample chest but was relieved when she spotted the form of her husband.

She gripped the sheets tighter around while she pulled her knees to her chest, she frowned at him and averted her eyes.

She refused to look at him even after he sat himself near her on the bed. The princess shrugged the hand that settled itself off her bare shoulder.

"I am sorry that I left you this morning. I should have stayed." He apologized.

"That's right, you should have." She replied with her back to him.

"I was called to the crown room on an urgent matter. I would have never left otherwise." His tone turned defending.

She gazed at him from the corner of her eye. "What matter?"

The heavy sigh he let out worried her out.

"As the head of the Royal Forces I was told to head immediately to the east of the Rice Fields to eliminate a new threat."

She whirled around as best as she could in her cocoon. "War?"

He shook his head. "Hardly, a group of prideful rebels is no match for a legion of our troops. Personally, I think father is exaggerating."

"Then why are you being sent?" she whispered, fearful for her husband.

"I am to exhibit the Royal authority." He replied stroking her cheek. "And I make it a point to never abandon my men, even if for a petty rebellion."

She nodded sadly. "When do you leave?"

"Soon."

A hurt look flashed across her eyes and it made his chest tighten. "I am sorry to leave so soon, I give you my word though that as soon as I get back I will take you to one of my favorite spots in Oto."

She smiled. "Honeymoon?"

"Yes, the one you deserve." Sasuke answered. "Am I forgiven?" he added as an afterthought.e

"We'll see." She burst into giggles at that.

She recoiled fearfully at the glint that took over the darkness of his eyes. The princess plastered the bed covering on her skin and almost jumped off the bed when her husband's gaze turned predatory.

"Are you sure about that?"

She only had a few seconds to react before her husband has lowered her to the bed. For a moment she found herself forgetting to breathe.

"I think I can change your mind."

"EEP." Sakura squealed in an unlady-like fashion when she felt him tear her shield from her body. The abyss of Sasuke's eyes darkened some more at the sight of her nude form. Her arms went to cover her chest area on instinct. The Uchiha clicked his tongue and shook his head disapprovingly.

"I was under the impression that we went over this yesterday, no hiding." At that he pried her arms open and went for the prize. Sakura could not stop her whimpers when his cool lips found her neck. He kissed the curve of her throat, up and down before retiring to her collarbone. The prince traced the red marks he left the night before; he worshipped her neck and suckled on her pulse.

"Nghgh." Even the slightest touch of his brought pleasure to her heated body. A blush traveled from her cheeks all the way to her breasts.

Open mouth kisses left a trail of saliva on her skin as her husband's head moved to her chest. Not one to beat around the bush, he took a mound into his greedy lips and suckled drawing a delicious moan from her lips. In a bold movement, her fingers gripped his dark locks. Her body continued to writhe as he massaged the twin of the breast in his mouth.

Just as she begun to anticipate his next action, the handsome man withdrew from her, leaving her aching and frustrated.

He smirked at her disbelieving look. "I let myself get carried away." He said in a fake innocent fashion. "I suppose your beauty is far too much for me to handle, fair lady. I should be going, now."

He fixed his attire and turned to leave, she gasped. "Are you serious?"

He looked at her from over his shoulder. "You'll thank me later." with that, he left the room with a wink and a whispered, "See you later."

She stared at the door he excited from for a good five minutes, gaping like a fish.

"That insufferable brute." She exclaimed.

As soon as she made a movement to stand, an ache spiraled from her nether regions. She winced at the uncomfortable feeling.

"So that's what he meant." She commented with wonder in her eyes at the thought of Sasuke forsaking his pleasure for her well being.

But still, "Incorrigible bastard."

She hurried with her bath and dressing to head to the gates to wish her husband a Godspeed.

Sasuke left a while later in army garb, he promised to return soon with a mischievous kiss that he shouldn't have given her in front of the entire legion. Luckily for her, whistles and hoots were kept at bay for the respect of their leader.

* * *

"Sakura?" she turned to face the owner of the familiar voice and came face to face with Itachi.

She did a respectful curtsey and answered. "Yes, your Highness?"

"Itachi, please. There is someone that wishes to speak to you."

She gazed at him confusedly. "Is that so? Who?"

"Your Highness, the King is now here." A servant interrupted.

"Let him in."

Sakura's eyes widened when they fell on the form of her Father.

"Father, I thought you left."

"I shall leave you to talk." With that, Itachi retreated with a head bow.

"Surely, you did not expect me to leave after the spectacle of last night."

Sakura's gaze shied away from the Haruno's accusing eyes.

"I suppose last night was a clear exhibit on the consequences of your action. Are you happy, now?"

She should have expected that. With fire burning in her emerald jewels, she faced the older man.

"Yes, I did not enjoy last night's unfortunate events but I do not under any circumstance regret my decision."

"Then you are a fool, have you shame? Have you no gratitude?"

Her fists clenched and salty liquid pricked her eyes. She fought the urge to lash out on him but found herself unable to.

"Shame? Gratitude? Gratitude for what? Tell me, Father." She snapped.

The king's eyes widened. "I raised you, Sakura. I brought you to life, how can you address me in such a way?"

"And then you sold me." She thundered.

Her father took a step back at her sudden outburst.

"My Father, my own bloody father sold me, traded me for a few coins, how am I different than a shameless whore if the closest person to me abandoned me for a price?"

"I did what was best for the kingdom, you know that." He defended.

"Yes, yes I know." The girl whispered. "What about my best interest? That matters not?"

Tears flowed freely down her cheeks. Her chest tightened and her heart felt like it was aching to escape its coffin.

The king scoffed. "Your marriage to this lad has changed you. He turned you to disresp-"

"Don't you dare." She interrupted. "Don't you dare turn me or my husband into the negative character in this situation. You are the only one to blame."

"He brought you here."

"He saved me from an inevitable hell. He saved me from you, from Ryu and everyone else."

"Rotten Oto prince, he and this entire place. They think they are better than all, superior creatures. I long for the day where I would see them crushed beneath ou-"

"Leave." She interrupted the surprised man.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Leave, I said. And never comeback. I have no use for a father that cares little for me and disrespects my family."

"Family? We are your family."

"No, Father. The Uchiha cared for me these past few months more than you did in twenty years."

His nostrils flared and he gathered himself. "Enjoy your new family because from now you are no daughter of mine."

She held back a sob. "I never was, was I…" she paused for a few heartbeats. "Your majesty."

With one final disgusted look, her father left.

She waited for the door to slam to collapse by the chair she occupied earlier. Sobs burned her throat but the fire in her heart burned the most. Where was Sasuke when she needed him the most?

* * *

She had learned more about Sasuke's role for the length of his absence from Itachi. The crown prince told her that while he handled the political and diplomatic matters of their country, Sasuke was the sword of the kingdom and its armor. Despite his young age of twenty five, he was seen as a hero by the citizens for all the wars he fought in.

"That does not mean he is ignorant, mind you." Her brother-in-law told her one day as they walked through the hallways of the Palace of Oto. "In fact, there are many times where he solved issues even Father had troubles with."

"What do you mean?"

"He sees an opening in every situation and doesn't mind making sacrifices to reach his goals. I suppose that is his greatest trait as a soldier and as a diplomat." He sighed. "That foolish boy has lived for the thrill of battle for so long, as a knight his greatest wish is to die on the field."

"Is there no way for him to change?"

The man that looked so much like her husband froze in his spot and faced her. "Sakura, when a wild beast is trapped, it tries with all its might to escape its prison and it would not rest until it breaks the one that imprisoned it or end up breaking itself. No point in playing with fire."

Looking out of her balcony with her hand supporting her head, Sakura heaved a bored sigh, without Sasuke around she had little to do. She missed their everyday banter, she missed his inappropriateness but most of all she missed him. He had been gone for two months now, his news come to her through Itachi who became, alongside his wife Kimiko, her constant companion.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a horse speeding onto the courtyard. From the height she was in, she could see little. But the urgency of the horseman worried her and an eerie feeling ate at her insides. Just as urgently, she gathered herself and headed to the hall where messengers are perceived.

She found that the Royal Family has beaten her to the man. She caught bits of the conversation before she made her entrance.

"What do you mean 'dangerous state'? Was he injured in battle?" the grave voice of Fugaku rose above all else and for the first time she detected worry in his tone.

"No, Your Majesty, he was fine days ago, we do not-" His words stopped short when his eyes feel on her. The messenger bowed to he not and looked elsewhere nervously.

"What is the matter?" her voice cut through the silence. "Is everything alright?"

Itachi was the first to recover and addressed some of the guards. "Inform the Royal Physicians, tell them to prepare to receive him, and send a few medics to intercept the carriage."

"Yes your Majesty."

"Itachi-Nii, is," she swallowed a lump, "is it about Sasuke?" she sounded insecure and troubled.

"Child," Mikoto started. "worry not."

"Is it about Sasuke?" she repeated.

"Yes. "It was Itachi that answered her. "We received word that he is being transported here in urgency because he came down with an illness.

"Illness? What illness?"

"The doctors on the field failed to identify the issue. Don't worry, the court's physicians are the best of the best, they will find the solution."

She was skeptical and worried but she nodded her head nonetheless.

The carriage arrived a while later, for the awaiting family, it felt like an eternity.

Sakura's face blanched when she spotted the form of her husband, his skin was pale and he looked much thinner than she remembered.

He was hauled away from sight to the infirmary before they had a chance to observe more.

She had to be physically restrained in order not to follow the medical personnel into the room.

Minutes turned to hours before anyone stepped out to sooth their aching souls.

The large mahogany doors swung open and Sakura was the first to jump towards the physician but the look in his eye conveyed bad news.

"We have done everything we know, it is clearly a poisoning but there is no wound on his body."

"What does that mean, Arashi?" the king asked dangerously.

The doctor cowered under the intense gaze of his king. "I am afraid there is not much we can do if we do not know the origins of the poison."

The queen collapsed into the arms of her son and was near hyperventilating state. The princess' hand went to cover her mouth.

"Let-let me take a look."

Four pairs of eyes snapped in her direction.

"My lady…how can-"

"I trained in the art of healing under the best, I excelled in poisons, and perhaps I could see what you missed." Her voice turned pleading.

"You might catch-"

"It is too late for that now."

"Hime-sama-"

"Let her."

The occupants of the hallway turned to the crown prince. "Do your best."

She nodded her head and proceeded to enter the room.

The sight that met her made her eyes drown in tears. A nurse wiped the sweat off of the prince's face with a wet cloth. A sheet covered his lower half while his upper body remained exposed.

With heavy steps, she approached the bed. She bit her lip and summoned the determination that her teacher grew in her.

The nurse looked away when Sakura pulled the blanket to reveal his nude form. She scanned with her hands and eyes and searched for distinctive bite marks or wounds. As she expected she found none. Next, she focused on summarizing the symptoms in her head.

Raging fever is a common symptom in almost every intoxication. His veins showed through his thin pale skin. Her attention was drawn to his lips, despite the absence of chills, they were blue almost purple.

She opened his eyelids and saw redness in them. Her mind drifted to a suspicion that was confirmed when she felt his unusually rigid belly. It was as hard as rock. Coughs diverted her attention.

The princess stroked her husband's chest. "Be patient, love. I will get you the cure."

She kissed his forehead not heeding the nurse's protest.

She knew the illness and it was far from contagious, fatal but not contagious.

Hurriedly, she exited the room. "Send a messenger to the High Chancellor Tsunade-sama."

The physician's eyes widened. "Have you found the problem?"

"Yes." She replied urgently. "Now do as I say, tell her that Princess Sakura of the leaf requests her immediate presence alongside the antidote for the blue fever."

Itachi mentioned to a guard behind them to comply and listened to her explanation.

"Blue Fever?" Arashi asked confused.

"Yes, I suppose it is unheard of here because the herb that causes it only grows near the joint borders of Konoha, Ami and Oto."

"That's where Sasuke was sent to." The prince commented. "Do you suppose he came in contact with it?"

She shook her head. "This herb can only cause poisoning by being swallowed in generous amounts."

A gasp made her look at the queen. "You don't think that…"

"Yes." She answered with rage. "This was done on purpose."

"But why make such a scene? Why not use something more discreet?"

"Blue Fever is obvious and slow but painful and torturous; the following hours will be hell."

As if on cue a loud groan resounded from the chamber, followed by another that almost sounded like scream.

Sakura bowed her head, saddened. "We can only hope that Tsunade-Sama arrives soon."

As if he just remembered, her father-in-law asked, "How do you know her?"

Had the situation been different she would have grinned. "She trained me."

The sun hid itself behind the mountains of Sound and Sakura did not leave her husband's side. All she could do was grasp his hand and hope for the pain to subside. She tried to whisper soothing words to alleviate some of it but she doubted that he even knew of her presence.

The room was dark, the lantern being the only source of light in the room. She heard hurried steps echoing against the hardwood floor. The door burst open soon after. Never had she been so happy to see the form of her busty blonde mentor.

"Shishou." Sakura's voice was weak and trembling and she could not help but embrace the woman.

"Help is here Sakura." The blonde said before turning to examine the sick man on the bed. The princess helpfully shed the light of the lantern on Sasuke's body and illuminated his heaving chest.

Violent coughs escaped him and spots of blood stained the corners of his mouth. Tsunade performed a quick assessment and clicked her tongue.

"It's blue fever alright. Progressing rapidly, too." Tsunade commented."Shizune, the antidote."

For the first time, Sakura noticed the presence of the brunette as well as the crown prince.

"Yes, of course." The brunette brought a small glass vial that contained a dark liquid. The High Chancellor made a move to grab the medicine but Sakura beat her to it.

"Let me."

With help from Itachi, she put her husband in the right position to help him swallow the cure.

When the vial emptied, they let him rest back into his lying position. Sakura gazed at him for a whole amount of two minutes.

"It will take a while to work, come now, I need explanations."

Sakura nodded and followed the small crowd out of the room to the receiving hall where the tale was explained.

"And you believe that it was deliberate?"

"Yes, I doubt that he would have swallowed a foreign herb just like that. And the amount that was given to him is rather large for him to be exhibiting such symptoms so soon."

The blonde nodded, agreeing with her student. "The peculiar choice of Blue Fever screams vengeance."

"I am so sorry you had to come all the way here, as you know the herb for the antidote does not grow near here."

"It's quite alright; I had a matter to discuss with you, anyway."

Sakura blinked confusedly. "What matter?"

"News about your father."

"In case you haven't heard Shishou, I have been estranged from my family. I care not about their news and they care not for mine." The determination in her voice failed to cover her pain.

The Chancellor sighed. "Complaints have been made against your Father and the King of Ami."

Tsunade looked at the occupants of the room and noticed the anticipation in their eyes, it was obviously a touchy subject, she was not ignorant to the drama that surrounded her student's marriage but she had no idea that it would come down to such serious matters.

"They will be trialed for high treason against the alliance of the Five Noble Nations, exceptionally the Uchiha Clan of Otogakure."

The princess gasped and the crown prince could not help himself from choking on his water.

Why did it seem like the world was crashing beneath her feet? High treason on an international level was punished by death, right? She could not bring herself to stop the surge of emotion that evaded her body.

* * *

So? is it as horrible as I think it is?

don't forget about the One shot request I'm having, feel free to send me yours.

Review, review, review

Translations:

Crois en moi ma chère, je t'aime = believe in me, my love. I love you. part 2

Je deteste de te voire pleurer. Arrete, je t'en prie = I hate seeing you cry. Stop, please. part 3

ça fait mal, ça fait vraiment mal = It hurts, it really hurts. part 3

Jamais = never. part 3

Je te fais confiance = I trust you. part 4

ça sera la première et la dernière fois que je te fait mal = this will be the first and last time I hurt you. part 4

Let me know if there's any I forgot.


	6. part 5

Hey! I am back with a relatively fast update.

I have been typing this for quite sometimes now, it's two a.m almost three in here, I am going cross eyed but I was adamant about finishing it. At first I intended for this chapter to be the last, save the epilogue, but then decided against that because it would be over packed and too long, so I will divide it into two or three more chapters.

Anyway, enough of my rambling!

Warnings: expect some mistakes that will be fixed when my eyes are not so messed up.

* * *

The High Chancellor waited for the occupants of the room to regain sense of time and space.

The crown prince was the first to recover. Naturally. "High treason? Can you explain?"

The blonde cleared her throat. "Certainly. Shizune." She called towards the brunette who nodded hurriedly.

She presented a simple scroll and unrolled it on the table for all to see. "The anonymous complainer brings evidence of harboring S-class criminals, wanted internationally, and prodding them to launch an attack on Oto." Shizune explained in business-mode.

Sakura looked between her mentor and the woman that was once her colleague. "But the target is the Uchiha Clan, is it not?" She inquired.

Tsunade sighed. "Yes, the goal was the termination of _all _the Uchihas. It seems that they have been plotting for quite some time.

The male one out of the Uchihas cursed under his breath then apologized to the ladies that still occupied the room.

Meanwhile sakura kept her eyes on her folded hands on the table; she tapped her foot repeatedly and bit her lip.

"The bastard." She hissed.

Before anyone could react, she left her seat and headed hurriedly to the door.

"Sak-" The high authoritative in the room cut herself off and looked questioningly at her company. They both shrugged.

"I'll follow." Itachi stated.

Tsunade nodded and stood to accompany.

The rosette fisted her long skirts in her hands and hurried through the numerous hallways, she dodged the maids that still littered around and prayed for her suspicions to be proved void.

She skidded to a halt in front of the large double doors. She pushed through. Chatter stopped immediately and all eyes froze on her panting form. She ignored the effects that her unexpected entrance made and pushed through the crowded room and the scent of heavy drinking.

Finally, the rosette stopped in front of the table she desired and took a deep breath.

The occupants scurried to stand and bow to her.

"Your Highness, what brings you here?" Neji Hyuuga, a member of the prestigious Hyuuga Clan of Oto, as well as one of Sasuke's closest advisors and warriors inquired politely.

"Could your ladyship present us with news about our commander?" Nara Shikamaru, the Royal Army's best strategist, added.

She ignored both of them and turned to the blonde idiot that looked at her expectantly.

"Uzumaki-san," she started, "You are with Sasuke at all times, right?"

He looked confused but nodded his head nonetheless.

"Can you tell me about any unusual occurrences? Anything out of the ordinary for him, concerning his food, his drinks, anything." She asked, desperately almost.

The blond scratched the back of his head and thought. "Well, Teme-I mean his Highness, ate what we ate, drank what we drank." He looked at his comrades for confirmation who just nodded.

She almost cursed. "Please think, anything, at all. Try to remember."

Shikamaru's eyes widened for a second. "The onigiri, from the elderly lady."

Neji seemed to remember. "Yes, my lady. He was offered a few onigiris from an old lady at a dango stand. "

"Right, she said they were specifically ordered for him."

"Very good, did she say anything about who sent them?"

Naruto's expression fell. "No, she just said that a young man insisted that he eat them. "

"What is this about my lady? How is our prince?"

Sakura smiled reassuringly. "We identified the problem and he received the cure earlier, he should be faring well, soon."

"May I ask what the problem was?"

"A poisoning Hyuuga-san, a deliberate one." There was a touch of anger at the last part.

"Deliberate?" shikamaru repeated. "Do you suppose that it was the onigiri?"

"Yes, assuming that no one else is ill."

The trio shook their heads.

She bit her lower lip for a moment then looked at her husband's closest men. "How fast can you make it back to the field?"

"Do you wish for us to investigate the matter?" naruto asked.

"Yes, find out what you can. And be sure to receive a full description of the person that sent the treat."

The three nodded, determined.

"And please, hurry. Write to me as soon as you receive helpful information."

She bowed her head and left the assembly room, she almost bumped into Itachi who looked at her weirdly.

"Exactly what brought you here?"

"Suspicions." She answered vaguely; she waved off his confused look telling him that she would tell him when things cleared out.

"I shall return to Sasuke's side." She stated and then added as an afterthought. "Tsunad-"

"Was led to our guest quarters as well as Shizune-san." Her brother-in-law clarified.

She smiled at him and went on her way.

Sasuke's temperature was still high but was lessening quickly. She felt for his belly and was glad to know that it regained the normal toned feel instead of the rock hard rigidness that she felt earlier.

Once again, her red full lips found his forehead. "Feel better soon, Sasuke."

As if he heard, she received a throaty groan from him. The rosette brushed the slick hair from his face with a pained expression on her face.

"I wish I could ease your pain."

He arched his back in discomfort.

"I swear to god, if this is _his _doing, I'll…"

She trailed off unable to finish her threat, her mind drifted to the matter Tsunade brought to life. It was true that she was on more than bad terms with her father but she didn't want him to die.

On the other hand, the king was plotting against her husband, his family, _her _family. It was a confusing situation that incited a paradox of emotions in her.

Hanging, that will be the fate of her own flesh and blood if he were to be found guilty. The evidence was clear, as Shizune showed earlier, contracts, bills, letters exchanged between both the king of Konoha and the King of Ami concerning the hiring of several criminals and outlaws that were pursued on an international level.

All this info had to reach the hands of the High Council somehow, the informants of the highest authority in the five nations maybe good but not that good. Sealed royal letters cannot reach hands they were not supposed to be in without an intervention.

Vengeance was all Sakura could think off. Her mind drifted to Daisuke, her brother, he was the only one she considered family and she was certain that he had no knowledge of what was taking place underneath his nose, but he would be trialed for sure. Would he be found guilty for accessory or worse treason? He deserved no such fate.

A cough caught her attention; she turned to look at his face and was surprised to see Sasuke's eyes flutter open.

"Sasuke." she whispered in order not to disturb him, her dainty hand went to grab his.

His tired orbs landed on her, he opened his mouth but all that came out were croaks and chokes.

Sensing his discomfort she reached for the jar of water that was on the nightstand. She poured some into the metal cup and helped him drink it. He downed it like a man lost in the desert.

"More?" she asked, he just nodded eagerly.

She waited for him to settle back on the bed before questioning him.

"How are you feeling?"

He took a deep breath before replying. "Tired."

She nodded. "It's normal; your body is fighting the illness. Are you in pain?"

He hesitated but nodded his head.

"It will stop soon. You are healing nicely it seems."

"How?" his voice was still raspy from lack of use in the past few days.

"You were poisoned; I don't know when."

"Mmh." He just mumbled too exhausted to say anything else.

She brought his paler than usual hand to her cheek and whispered, "I missed you, and I thought I was going to lose you."

The Uchiha smirked as best as he could in his worn out state. "Have I turned the prudish proud woman into a lovesick princess?"

If he wasn't sick she would have punched him. "You're supposed to say that you missed me as well, imbecile." She grumbled.

His gaze turned soft instead of mocking. "You know I did. Two months without you have been torture."

She scoffed. "You mean without…you know."

He chuckled. "I guess there is some prudishness left in you; you can't even say the word."

She turned her head from him. "Not all of us can be scandalous inappropriate bastards."

"Back to the name calling, and here I thought that my wife would welcome me with open arms."

He sighed.

"In case you haven't noticed, _your highness, _you're in a clinic."

He grunted. "That is a downer, but I suppose if we really wanted it, this bed would hav-"

He could not finish his jab for he doubled over in a violent fit of coughs. His wife reached for him immediately and tapped his back till the dry hacks subsided.

"Serves you right for thinking inappropriate things when you're practically on the brink of death."

He rested back against the pile of pillows and smirked tiredly. "You insist on the word inappropriate, are we not married?"

She blushed. "Well, yes. But you are so obsessed with intimacy that it's all you think about."

His lips turned into one of his rare breathtaking smiles and he reached for her hand. "No, darling. Obsessed with you is more like it."

She turned a darker shade of red and sprung out of her seat mumbling something about getting the physician, his arm shot out to clasp itself on her wrist.

"No, just stay with me for a while."

She hesitated so he gave her a gentle tug that had her tumbling into his embrace. She let out a surprised squeal when she found her cheek plastered to his toned bare chest.

He adjusted her to lie properly with him and closed his eyes.

He could still feel her nervous breathing and sharp inhales. So he kissed her hair and mumbled a 'sleep'.

The methodical rise and drop of his chest lulled her to the sleep that she denied herself from for the past 24 hours and for the first time in two months she found herself able to rest without reaching for the other side of the bed.

When the rosette woke up not much later, she was met with the sight of onyx jewels staring right down at her.

She looked around, trying to avoid his intense gaze but gave up eventually.

She didn't know what time it was so she opted to ask him about how he slept instead of good morning.

"Fine, I feel rather stiff, but I suppose that's typical?" he looked at her questioningly.

She went into medic-mode immediately. "Why, yes. Blue Fever has a quite significant effect on muscles."

She stretched as best as she could in Sasuke's embrace making him chuckle.

She huffed. "May I ask what is the reason for your merriment?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you sleep like a child?"

The princess scoffed. "Why, I don't suppose anyone had the chance to see me sleep."

"Mm, you are right." She saw him wince and reach for his stiff neck.

She shook her head and scolded. "You shouldn't be up and about so soon, people affected with this illness usually take a few days to even regain consciousness."

He smirked. "I pride myself in being unusual."

She tch-ed and sat up in bed, she ignored his confused look and adjusted herself to support her back against the headboard behind him.

"What are you-"the prince interrupted himself with a throaty sigh when her smooth hands found his aching shoulders.

She worked more strength into her limbs and kneaded the sore flesh, mending it back to healthiness. Her hands covered the entire area of his back and even his strong arms.

"How does that feel?" she whispered in his ear, feeling coy.

He pushed back into her soothing touch, his answer nothing but sighs and groans.

She continued to massage his muscles until he told her that he was better now, albeit reluctant to leave her touch.

He reclined back into her embrace and her hands massaged his scalp instead.

They stayed like that for a few minutes until her choked accusation broke the comfortable air.

"So much for returning safely."

He craned his head back to catch sight of her glistening eyes.

She half-sobbed. "You never broke a promise before, I w-"

His hand covered hers. "And I don't intend to, I will take you as I promised to your deserved honeymoon."

She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her dress. "Do you really think that I care about that you aggravating man? I was terrified for you."

He chose to stay silent. "I don't know what I would have done if the illness was not discovered or incurable."

He stared into her eyes and took in the whirl of emotions that swam in the emerald seas, he saw fear and a tad of anger, and he saw relief masked behind a notch of panic.

It was the first time that he was able to contemplate the true natures and aspects of their relationship. It had the most unusual of starts, not out of necessity and yet not out of choice.

Sasuke likes to believe that it is a marriage of both, necessity and choice. Sakura, in the face of two inevitable marriages, chose him, and yet she was obliged to make that chose because of the life that waited for her with Ryu.

At this moment, the prince could feel the love radiating off of her, real love that had nothing to do with appreciation or debt. For the few months they'd been together, Sasuke feared that her affections were a result of what he has done for her, an obligation born out of gratitude; but in this moment, as he took in her appearance, bloodshot eyes, soft pink hair blown in an attractive wilderness and a pale complexion, he thought her beautiful and he felt her heart beat for him.

He turned his body slightly, so he could better reach her, and cupped her plump cheek. She leaned into his large palm and closed her eyes.

"I am sorry that I worried you so." He whispered. "However, I am glad for I now can feel your heart beat."

Her eyes snapped open at his words, she searched his orbs for the meaning behind his words, and he left her no room to ponder for the thoughtful expression on his sickly face regained the mischievousness.

"And now, can I please bother you to retrieve some clothes?"

He watched amused as her face turned ten shades of red until it settled on a unhealthy looking purple, she seemed to have omitted that she was sleeping beside her nude husband.

He saw her eyes travel down his toned body, locking on the sheet that rode low on his hips then snapping back to his face.

"O-of course." She stuttered. "I'll be back with the clothes." She scrambled of the bed with hasty movements and scurried out of the room, leaving an amused husband behind.

The Uchiha reclined on the bed and pondered the strangeness of the situation; he tracked his steps and linked places with dates.

He clicked his tongue and came to a conclusion. The onigiri from the dango stand.

The old lady could not be the master mind behind the attack, she was the reason he consumed the treat with no suspicion after all. Obviously, she was just a messenger that did what was asked for her.

But the question is who would ask an old lady to poison him? Only one name came to mind.

Only one person would dive to such cowardice and use such lowly ways. He did not deny that he had many enemies, but the people that call themselves his enemies would not stab him in the back. It took courage to land yourself a spot in Uchiha Sasuke's black book.

He cursed himself for being so careless, for offering that lowlife the chance to gain an upper hand on him, he resorted to poison to finish what his sword failed to do.

Tch, a crown prince, no less.

A knock pulled him from his thoughts he sat up and muttered a 'soft enter', Sakura came through the door carrying a pile of what seemed to be his clothes.

He received the outfit from her with a muttered 'thank you'

His wife blushed some and stuttered, "W-would you, um, like some help with that?"

He chuckled at her discomfort. "No, Sakura, I am not yet invalid. But thank you."

She twirled on his heels when he made a move to stand, the sheet falling dangerously low.

For a few awkward moments, for her, all she could hear was the sound of fabric sliding against skin.

Sakura almost jumped when she felt two large hands settle themselves on her shoulders, a hot breath brushed against the soft skin of her ear.

"You can turn around now."

It was the mocking edge of his tone that made her bonk him upside the head, mindful of his delicate state.

"Itachi-san, and your parents apologize for not being here, they are currently holding a council meeting."

He looked at her questioningly. "About my incident?"

"And other matters." She explained vaguely, not wanting to rile him up when he only now regained health.

"I will join them."

Her eyes widened. "You most certainly will not." She stated. "Have you forgotten that you are ill?"

He cupped her face. "Not anymore. There is something that you are keeping from me and I abhor that."

She bit her lip, unsure whether to relay the news and risk irking him further or allow him to join the meeting and find out for himself. Whatever she decided, she was sure that he would do as he pleased.

"Very well, but do promise me that you will do your best to rest yourself."

He smirked, aching to a smile. "I do."

After he changed to proper attire, the Uhciha made his way to the conference room, the announcer's eyes widened at the sight of his prince who was rumored to be ill. For a moment he forgot his job, before he regained composure and announced the couple.

"His Highness Prince Sasuke of the Uchiha Clan, Her Highness Princess Sakura of the Uchiha Clan."

As custom, his rod hit the ground three times.

The mahogany doors slid open, and they were faced with the sight of the surprised councilmen and royalty.

The lords bowed to their prince, while Mikoto approached her youngest son.

"Dearest Sasuke, I was under the impression that you require rest." She commented concerned.

"I am quite alright now, mother. Fear not." The prince assured, looking around the room, he noticed the presence of most of the lords which further confirmed his earlier suspicions.

"You gave us quite a scare, little brother."

He turned towards his brother and smirked in the closest form of sheepish smile that he could offer.

His father took charge. "We are all glad for the Prince's recovery; let us now continue with this meeting."

Sasuke interrupted, as he took his seating with Sakura alongside the royal family. "I would like to be informed of the subjects of this assembly, especially that the High Chancellor is present."

He nodded his head towards the blonde in greeting and received a nod in return.

Itachi cleared his throat. "Tsunade-Hime was summoned by Sakura-san to present the cure for your poisoning, and in the process she has brought to our knowledge an interesting matter."

The High Chancellor took charge. "We have reason to believe that your assail has a connection to a complaint that was presented to the High Council."

"And what does this complaint entail?"

"Shizune."

The assistant nodded and passed the documents that would clarify the matter to the prince. Being a fast reader, Sasuke scrolled through them quickly before turning to the occupants with wide eyes.

"Is this information reliable?"

"I am afraid so, Uchiha-san, the documents were presented with the text of the complaint with Royal seals and signatures as you can see."

"What is your standing on this matter, Chancellor?" Fugaku's voice broke through the room, sure and with no trace of panic.

"The council was discussing the matter when I was summoned here, I wrote back to my advisors letting them know of the assault, it only served to heighten the attention served to this cause, in fact I have received a reply, just now. " the blonde reached for a parchment that lay by her side and cleared her throat.

"Your Excellency , High Chancellor Tsunade of the Senju Clan,

We have read and studied your message thoroughly, it seems that the attack has already started on the Uchihas which put the Council on high alert to seek a final standing on this matter.

We the councilmen of The High Council of the Joined Five Countries advise you to summon the accused for an official court of Law, in which a jury of the leading Kings would decide the Faith of the accused.

We wish you a safe return."

She finished reading the message and looked around the room inspecting their reactions.

Her apprentice looked thoughtful.

"Is there something you would like to add Sakura?"

Sasuke's eyes, as well as the others' snapped in her direction. As expected, she cowered form the attention for a few heartbeats before she cleared her throat and begun.

"Well, I suppose something does not sit well with me."

"Explain further." Fugaku said.

"Sasuke's poisoning was planned yet clumsy and almost amateurish; it does not mimic the months of planning that is shown before us." She explained. "Furthermore, the poison used does not strike me as a plan of total destruction."

"So," Sasuke started, "You believe that it has nothing to do with the complaint?"

"Exactly. I will be more certain once the letter arriv-"

She was interrupted by a guard who bowed to the council then turned to her.

"My lady, we received an urgent letter for your Highness from the First Knights."

Sasuke's eyes widened at the mention of his closest subordinates, what business did Sakura have with them?

She handed the letter over to him once she finished reading it.

He read aloud to let the occupants know what it entailed.

"Your Highness Princess Sakura Of the Uchiha Clan,

We the First Knights have left on the quest that your ladyship has asked of us, after thorough investigation, the elderly lady proved to be innocent and provided us with a complete description of her abettor. A man in his mid twenties with blond hair and clear amber eyes, a medium built, tall and dressed elegantly with no distinctive marks. We have spread a warrant with these descriptions and instructed our fellow knights at home to do the same; the capture of this criminal should be prompt.

Yours truly, Sir Shikamaru of the Nara Clan."

Sasuke crumpled the parchment in anger and hissed, "Ryu."

"My suspicions are confirmed, only he would resort to such low ways."

Tsunade reclined in her seat. "Crown Prince of Ami?"

"It is highly probable, Hime. I assure you." Itachi commented.

"I know, how could I have missed this, there is no one left that does not know of the bad blood that exists between the two of you."

Sasuke lifted his eyes off of the table and said, "You are wrong, Sakura."

The occupants looked at him questioningly. "These two matters have everything to do with each other; the documents presented are highly classified, sealed letters? No one can get a hold of those but someone that had access to the whole operation."

He looked straight at the High Chancellor. "Tsunade, I believe that Ryu is the complainer."

"But why?" for the first time since the meeting begun, Mikoto's voice rang through the room.

"His father and Sakura's failed him when they refused to take action against me." Sasuke clarified. "For one simple reason, really." He paused, thinking over his choice of words.

The lords looked at him expectantly, he smirked.

"Vengeance."

* * *

So what did you think? was it as horrible as it seems to me? Is it rushed?

anyway, expect the end of this fic soon and some more drama. Wow, I never planned so many events for this fic., hopefully part six will be more detailed and longer, as you can see I am focusing on the dialog.

Review Review Review Plz (I am being nice and updating fast)

ps. as I mentioned before, I am receiving oneshot requests so keep them coming!


	7. part 6

Hi! Another super fast update.

Thank you all, who reviewed and to M83 who has recently gave me my first flamish review, I say that I respect your opinion and I thank you for sparing some of my time to my story.

Anyway, part six is filled with drama, emotions and stuff so, enjoy!

ps. This chapter is dedicated to Marvin_Uchiha who has written one of the best reviews I have ever received.

* * *

Sasuke climbed the agonizing steps that would lead him to his shared quarters with the woman that walked alongside him.

His muscles ached, whether from the aftermath of his poisoning or the tiring hours he spent perched on the wooden chair listening to debates and arguments, he didn't know.

He almost tumbled through the mahogany doors, beside him he heard the rosette groan.

"I firmly believe that I never spent so many hours sitting on a chair." She groaned into the pillow as she stumbled onto the king sized bed.

Sasuke followed her to lie on his back; his left hand went to support his head as he stared at the ceiling. Sakura lifted her head from its confines to look at him incredulously.

"You still have the energy to think?"

He shook his head. "I cannot rest peacefully with this matter crowding my thoughts."

She turned to lie on her back. "It is absorbing, isn't?"

He nodded. "Yes, this trial will be most unusual."

She looked away for a moment contemplating the whole aspects of the trial, she was in direct link to it because if the people involved.

"You didn't tell me of your fallout with your father."

Her eyes snapped to his before she looked away again.

"I didn't, did I? I suppose…there was never a time, with everything…" she trailed off hoping that he'd understand.

His pale hand went to cup her face and he urged her to look at him, her eyes looked sad and pained.

"Was it because of me?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head, the rosette made a surprising move of approaching him to crawl into his embrace. Surprised by her boldness but not unwilling, Sasuke wrapped his arms around her petite form allowing her to rest her head on his toned chest.

"My relationship with, father has never been…" the rosette paused searching for the correct word, "Typical, it has never been typical."

He hummed shortly to let her know that he was listening.

"I grew estranged from him; estranged from my mother. To me, my family consisted of Daisuke and the maids. They…um…they seem to never have enough, always looking for more."

He scoffed. "Is it not the case of all aristocrats?"

She smiled at his attempts of humor. "Father has a superiority complex, he abhors receiving aid, I suppose that is the reason for his…" she trailed off shyly, seemingly ashamed of what he father committed.

"Hate for us?" he supplied.

"Yes. But he never showed anything." She huffed. "Although, it's not like we talked about his interests and hobbies."

She adjusted her head to look up to his face. "What would happen if they were to be found guilty?"

He clicked his tongue. "The punishment for treason is obvious, Sakura."

She bit her lip. "Shishou said that the jury would decide the verdict, which means that the punishment is not negotiable."

"Sakur-"he started as he noticed the crystal liquid begin to overflow from her doe eyes.

"N-no, I understand. My father will reap what he sowed, I only…it is jus-"

"He's your father." He finished for her.

Tears now trailed feely down her rosy cheeks, for the first time she had the opportunity to come to terms with the fact that her father might not live to see another year. She felt Sasuke's arms tighten around her form.

"I wish I could prevent it, but it is not my call alone."

"I know." She stated. "And I do not ask that of you."

She wiped the few rebel tears and shuffled to lie on her stomach for a better angle to his face.

"Oto is one of the most influential countries and yet it has not been included in the five leading countries." She said as a diversion from the somber subject.

Her husband chuckled. "I have not told you the story of my ancestors, have I?"

She shook her head.

"Well, did you know that the Uchiha Clan derives from Konohagakure No Sato?"

She gasped. "Konoha?"

The Uchiha nodded. "Yes, in fact my great great great grandfather Madara Uchiha was one of the founders alongside Hashirama Senju , the first king of Fire country."

She listened intently as the prince continued to narrate the tale of his ancestors.

"The breech between the Senju and the Uchiha Clan was destructive and devastating. In a final attempt to stop the blood spill, the Uchihas gathered themselves and left the village, it was years before civil contact with home was restored and by then Konoha was not even home anymore."

"Oto was?" she inquired, intrigued by the tale.

He hummed. "Yes, Oto was just a fragment of fertile land when the Uchihas arrived, unexploited, the Land of rice was nothing but a bout of nomads, if you will." He had a distance look in his eyes, as if he was reliving the experience even if he was not there for it, she commented on that matter.

"My grandfather told me the story so many times I feel like I was there." He answered. "With the funds they brought with them, our clan managed to build Oto as the center of the land of rice. Being a clan of warriors, they added to our land by conquering others, for the first few decades our economy was solely based on fighting wars for the people that couldn't. Until my ancestors managed to land their hands on good terrains, they used the land's fertility and its relief, namely seas, to expand our incomes, trade and agriculture."

He looked at her with a smile in his face. "I suppose that does not answer your question, does it?"

The lady giggled. "No, it does not."

"The answer is quite simple, Sound is not the borders that we passed months earlier, it is not the village you live in."

The prince smirked at her confused state. "Oto is everywhere, Sakura."

"Everywhere?" She repeated.

"Have you noticed that Konoha citizens are not allowed to enter certain areas without going through post guards and inspection? "

Her eyebrows knotted as she searched her brain for the information that he seeks. He thought her absolutely cute at the moment, with the thoughtful expression on her face.

"Yes, yes there are. In fact, I have to present my citizenship papers and pay a fee to enter my favorite library."

"Mm, Le livre de Savoir. I like it quite a lot also, my grandfather built it."

Her eyes widened as her brain put two and two together. "Oto, you mean the land belongs to Oto?"

He nodded. "Oto owns lands on every country. Fire, wind, earth, water, lightning. All acquired by our potent army."

"Sound is really on the head of the power when all these years I thought to be nothing but an uprising country."

He simply made a sound of agreement, eyes closed and hands losing their tight hold on her body.

"Tired?" she asked.

She only received a hum in return.

She perched herself to plaster her lips on his cheek.

"Sleep then, we have long days ahead of us."

Morning came sooner than the couple hoped; Tsunade was bid farewell on the early hours of morning.

Sakura walked through the corners of the palace beside her husband.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked.

"Quite."

The prince seemed to be healing fast, already sparring with the returned Knights despite Sakura's protests.

"Does…does our marriage seem doomed to you?"

The Uchiha froze for a good thirty seconds staring at her with wide eyes before resuming his walk.

"What makes you say that?"

"I…I do…it is just that I, um,…"

He turned towards her, harshly. "Say it already, say it!"He snapped.

The rosette flinched, unused to him raising his voice on her or even looking at her with so much irritation in his eyes.

"S-sasuke."

"Doomed, Sakura? You're sentencing our marriage to doom because of a bout of inconsequential hindrances?"

Her eyes watered and her dainty shoulders begun to shake in a last effort to hold her tears at bay.

"I thought…I thought you meant what you said on our wedding night, you said that we should not let what transpired come between us and I believed you."

"And I meant every word I said." She was quick to fall into defensive-mode.

"Really? For I have a hard time believing you when you say such…such blasphemies."

She cupped his face, and ignored him when he attempted to shrug her off.

"I am not saying that I, we, made the wrong choice. However, Sasuke, I feel like I have brought you nothing but trouble."

Her voice broke at the end, signaling that she was about to cry. She downcast her eyes, and dropped her arms to her side. Her shoulders slumped and the sight of her broke his so called icy heart.

Sighing, he pulled her small form into his embrace, securing his arms around her in a tight hold and burying his head in her rose locks.

"Don not, and I mean, do not say or think in such a way. I am no coward to scurry away from the consequences of my actions.

The prince cupped her heart shaped face and lifted so he could look at her properly. "And I will fight for you."

* * *

The next few days were spent in worry and anxiety. It was dinner time when the news that they were all waiting for were dropped.

The Uchiha patriarch cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of the royal family around him.

"We have received news from the High Chancellor."

Sasuke tensed, setting down his silver utensils. Sakura herself moved to the edge of her seat, literally.

"What is the status?" Itachi inquired.

Fugaku sighed. "The king of Leaf and the King of Ami were seized. They will be held in the Tower until their trial."

Sakura bit her lip and invested all her self control in keeping her tears at bay. Suddenly, she felt a warm hand cover her own on her thigh, she looked at Sasuke to find him still looking at his father, and she only received a gentle squeeze.

"Have they chosen date?" the younger prince asked.

"Yes, two weeks from now, that should offer them enough time to conduct correct interrogations of the kings and their households. Ironically, the trial will be short because of its importanc."

Sakura's head snapped up, as if she just remembered something. "My brother, what has become of Daisuke?"

"Ah, yes. Since the evidence did not suggest that he was implicated in any way, he was only held for interrogation, no arrests were made in terms of your mother either or the queen of Ami."

She sighed in relief, her brother did not deserve whatever was to come with her father, and her mother, however heinous, simply lacked the interest to plot the mass destruction of a foreign country.

"Will you be travelling to Fire?" Mikoto, ever the gentle woman, interrupted their thinking with her elegant speech.

"Yes, Itachi, Sasuke and I will be traveling there two days from now." He looked at Sakura. "And, Sakura, you will be joining us, for obvious reasons."

She nodded her head. "Of course."

"However, I do believe that our standing in this matter is not negotiable, regardless of your involvement."

She smiled sadly and politely. "I understand, your majesty, I would not ask you to forsake your rights and pride in such a way."

The king nodded his head. "Very well. Let's hope that this matter will come to a peaceful end."

The ride to Fire evoked a mix of contradicted emotions in Sakura's self. Despite Sasuke's dire attempts to lay her worries to rest, she remained agitated and fearful of her Father's fate.

The time passed quickly and yet the hours dragged on as she delved into a sea of conflicting emotions.

She has never been to the center of Fire even though it was her home country, that fact reminded her of how sheltered her life in Konoha was.

The High Council's court, or what was referred to as the Tower, was built in a mass of houses that were specific to daimyos and supreme lords.

It was simple and depicted authority, they passed the numerous hallways that led to different chamber. Sakura followed her husband's family who seemed to be familiar with the way.

They were the last to arrive, apparently. She could recognize Gaara of the Sand, to his side a burly dark skinned man that wore robes with the symbol of Cloud on them. Had the circumstances been different, she would have laughed at the short dwarf-like elderly that occupied the left side of the table. Mai of Mist looked smug in her imperial dress and luscious appearance.

They took their assigned seats and waited for the arrival of the rest of the concerned.

Tsunade entered a while later with natural grace and greatness in her steps as her closest advisors followed her to their seats.

Sakura had to avert her pained eyes when the two Kings were led, shackled, to the accused's box, her eyes watered but her tears remained at bay.

Her brother followed, unbound, and was placed in the witness chairs.

The High Chancellor cleared her throat. "Your Majesties, Your highnesses, welcome."

The royalties nodded their greetings.

"I am sure that you are aware of the reasons for you summoning, we are gathered here to discuss the matter that has been recently brought to light."

She looked towards the accused. "Haruno Daiki, King of Konohagakure No Sato, Nagazaki Takeshi, King of Amigakure No Sato, you have been charged with High treason against the International Joined Countries Alliance and the Otogakure Uchiha Clan, what have you to say for yourselves?"

The two kings squared their jaws; they held their chins high as if they did not commit the highest crime in the declaration of international laws.

"I am appalled to be humiliated as such, Hime." The king of Konoha was quick to act up a lie, as if he was completely innocent.

"The truth will prevail; High Chancellor and we will take our veng"

"Enough." Tsunade stated, holding her hand upwards. "The evidence against you is conclusive."

She held the documents that screamed their guilt and passed them around the council and jury.

"Are those not your signatures and handwritings, your Majesties?"

She had such a mocking edge in her voice that the Haruno scoffed.

"Forgery is not uncommon," he titled his head sideways, and for a second his eyes met those of his daughter; "I do believe that one of the best in that field are among us."

Sasuke growled, the only thing stopping him from leaving his seat was the hand that held his beneath the table.

"Careful, Haruno. You are not the ones accusing others here."

"Tsunade-sama," the king of Ami started, "These accusations against us are outrageous, we hold nothing but feeling s of camaraderie towards the Uchihas, what are you suggesting is simply ridiculous."

Tsunade nodded her head as if she believed everything he said. Her amber eyes travelled around the room. In the midst of the brooding Uchihas, Sakura sat with her head bowed and her hands folded on her lap. She had a sad aura surrounding her and her usually cheerful demeanor lacked its charm and color.

Gaara of the Sand looked positively disgusted with what he has heard and read and she immediately could tell his judgment.

The Queen of Mist had an air of nonchalance as she sated sideways at the accused. She would occasionally glance in the direction of Uchiha Sasuke. That shameless lady still had her eyes on the poor prince.

Onooki of the Earth appeared, as always, annoyed and bothered, while A of Cloud sneered at everyone who looked at him funny.

She cleared her throat. "In my understanding, you decline the charges pointed at you?"

They nodded their heads.

"In addition to the physical evidence we received, we would like to call the first witness to the stand."

She nodded at a guard who led Daisuke to the chair that would face both the Jury and herself.

"State your name and rank, if you may."

The crown prince of Leaf had a sad expression on his face; he spared his father a glance, and then looked at the High Chancellor.

"Daisuke of the Konohagakure No Sato Haruno clan, prince of Konohagakure No Sato." He stated, forlornly.

"Repeat after me, your highness. I, before god and his servants, swear to speak the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

The red head repeated the words, chin held high, his green orbs travelled towards his sister, he smiled at her for a second, reassuringly before looking, once again, at the High Chancellor.

"You, as the crown prince, handle a great amount of the ruling alongside your father, correct?"

"Yes."

"Have you ever come across a suspicious matter while handling said ruling?"

"No, I have not."

The High Chancellor nodded. "Were you aware of your Fathers plotting?"

"No, I was not."

"Has he ever indicated anything concerning his plans for the Uchihas?"

"I…" he hesitated for a second. "My father has always held a certain amount of hard feelings, but, no, he has never expressed his wish to eliminate them."

"How can you describe your father's relationship with the king of Ami?"

He paused. "Their meetings were frequent; the marriage contract between the two was signed long before my sister reached the age of ten."

Sakura's eyes widened. "I'd say their interactions are…collaborative and…conciliatory, I'd call it that."

Tsunade looked, out of the corner of her eye, at her apprentice.

"What did the contract entail?"

Daisuke's eyes widened at the question. "Estates and trades mainly, a piece of land was to be exchanged and military forces as well as a shared budget for an unknown purpose. Among, the estates that were given, there was a fort that I was not to ask questions about."

"Very well, you may step down."

The household of both kings were called to the stand to lay their testimonies, the two queens were saved for last and denied the charges pointed in their husbands way as well as themselves, accessory was a serious offense after all, and both exhibited a willingness to sell their partners for freedom.

"As a final witness, we call," the blonde looked at the jury, "Princess Sakura of the Otogakure Uchiha Clan, formerly known, as Princess Sakura of the Konohagakure Haruno Clan."

Sakura gasped, Sasuke's eyes snapped in her direction and then to the blonde who fixed them with an apologetic look.

On shaky legs, Sakura made a move to stand, but was stopped by her husband's vise-like grip. She smiled and gently untangled his long fingers form around her wrist. "It's okay." She mouthed.

Elegantly, she seated herself on the witness stand and held her chin high, as her brother did. She locked eyes with her father's, he seemed fearful as if he thought she knew something.

She performed to oath after stating her name formally.

"What was the reason for your fallout with your father?"

The rosette cleared her throat. "I…I was engaged to Prince Ryu of the Nagazaki Clan, I… withdrew from the betrothal the night before the wedding; my father was not pleased by my doings."

"Where did you go, after that?"

"I…" she looked at her husband and said proudly, "I left with Prince Sasuke and married him in Oto where I have been living for approximately 4 months."

"Was your father angered by that?"

"Certainly, however, on the day our argument, he expressed his displeasure towards the fact that I have married an Uchiha more so than to my refusal to the marriage."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying that he implied a preexistent grudge towards your husband and his clan?"

Sakura swallowed, slowly. "I'd say that, yes."

"What were you told about your engagement?"

"My father only spoke to me once of it. On the day that the contract was established, I was not allowed to read it, I was to sign it only."

"Have you been acquainted with the Prince beforehand?"

The princess shook her head. "No, never. I have seen him once, again, on the day that I signed the contract."

"Did the Prince strike you as a person that held feelings…or admiration for you?"

"No, but I only sat with him for a few minutes, however after we were properly introduced, he…he seemed to enjoy the arranged marriage much more than he should."

"What would you say of his behavior on your wedding?"

"Brash, obsessive and inappropriate. My husband, Prince Sasuke, made sure that I left the marriage in the adequate way, he had no right to claim what he did not possess."

"Could you tell us about Prince Sasuke's poisoning?"

"His highness was poisoned deliberately in a manner that implied vengeance. The court's first Knights provided a description of the assailant that matched Ryu's. He has not been seen since the wedding, two months ago."

"Very well, one last question, what was your conclusion about these last events?"

"The Otogakure Council came to the conclusion that the assailant and the complainer against the kings is one person, Ryu Nagazaki."

The two men gasped and widened their eyes. After all, who would expect his son and accomplice to tell on him?"

"You may step down." Tsunade permitted, she waited for the rosette to take her seat before continuing, "Ladies and Gentlemen, as a final piece of evidence I shall read you a letter sent to the King of Ami by the King of Konoha, keep in mind that the letter held the Royal seal and our experts matched the handwriting."

The kings tensed but attempted to remain calm. The blonde cleared her throat. " Dear Friend and partner, King Takeshi of the Amigakure Nagazaki Clan, I am writing to you to inform you of the progress of our plans. We have managed to contact the last of the Akatsuki, each and every member is ready to fulfill our wishes in exchange of the sum we agreed on. At this rate, the demolishment of our enemies shall be soon, the Uchiha Clan will cease to exist at the hands of the rogues they hunt. I will have to say, it was a clever idea on your part to use the betrothal as coverage to our collaboration. My son and daughter suspect nothing. Soon, the world will witness the fall of its leaders at our hands. We shall taste victory my friend.

King Daiki of the Konohagakure Uchiha Clan."

The blonde handed the parchment to a guard to deliver it to the jury.

"And now, your majesties, what have you to say for ourselves?"

"We made our point clear, Hime."

She smirked mockingly. "The Jury may be dismissed to discuss the ruling the majority's decision shall be enforced."

With heavy steps, the princess followed the crowd as they moved to the debating room.

They took their seats on a circular table as the discussion began.

"Oto is our ally and the Uchihas are our friends." Gaara looked at his long time rival and friend. ""Suna's standing is set, guilty."

The king of Oto nodded his gratitude.

Onooki rubbed his chin. "I see no reason for Earth's involvement. It is no secret that all thrive to gain the Uchiha's statues, even though I disagree with the methods involved I do not blame the two kings for doing what others lacked the courage to do, I say not guilty."

"I wish not to be involved, also." The Raikage stated. "My verdict is not guilty. The evidence is shallow and I see no reason for being charged for high treason."

Mai giggled sharply at what unfolded before her. "It looks like their fate lies in our hands, Uchihas."

She looked at Sasuke. "I suppose the situation is difficult, what with having the traitor's daughter alongside you." She exclaimed. "But, no one is above the law, I disagree with you gentlemen, the hiring of world class criminals involves all of us, how can we know for sure that we are not next? No one is safe, and for that I say guilty."

"It seems that the debate is adjourned the-"

"Wait." Sakura's distressed voice interrupted Itachi as he was gathering himself along half the occupants of the room.

"Sasuke, can I have a word with you?"

The prince hesitated but stood with her nonetheless. As soon as her foot stepped outside the room, she began to pace.

"I can't…I simply can't, Sasuke." her eyes catered and she begun to inhale sharply. "I know that his sins are grave, but," she paused and looked at his in the eye, face already wet with big fat tears, "but he…he's my father Sasuke, he…whether I like it or not, he brought me to the world."

"Sakura." He could only mutter her name.

"I know that I said that…that I would acce…" she leaned against the wall, almost sliding to the floor if not for Sasuke's firm grip on her waist. With a small tug, she tumbled into his embrace, "with one…with one word, Sasuke, he would be killed." She whispered the last part as if it pained her.

He cupped her face. "What would you like me to do?"

She smiled sadly. "What can you do, Sasuke?"

He bit his lip, and told her to enter the room after she wiped her face; he followed her calling his father.

In the hallway, he faced the man. "Request a lighter sentence, Father."

The older Uchiha's eyes widened. "Sasuke-"

"You can do it, can you not?" the son interrupted.

"How can you ask that of me? Sasuke this is our pride, our dignity."

"I cannot, Father." He hissed. "I cannot put my pride, before her, pardon me. But for the first time I am asking you to put your heart into this."

"Put my heart? Have you turned back to the impulsive fool?"

"Maybe, maybe I have, but I cannot do this to her, I cannot kill her this way, would you do it to mother?"

"This is a complete different situation." Fugaku defended.

"You know that it is not."

Sasuke paused and looked at his father with a sinister look in his eyes.

"Tou-san, all my life I have nothing but strive to be the son that you would be proud of." He confessed. "All my life, I have never asked you for anything, I have obeyed, fought in wars that had no meaning, killed on you command, but now…" he looked his father in the eye. "For the first time, for the first time in my life, I am asking you to do this for me, not for Sakura, not for Daiki, but for me, your son."

Fugaku was shocked to see a lone crystal liquid trail down Sasuke's cheek. He has never seen him…

"You owe this to me, Father. Do this and I shall never ask anything of you, ever again."

Fugaku's tight features loosened. "You care for her enough that you'd plead for a man you hate?"

"Yes." The answer was loud and clear.

"The offense cannot be easily forgiven."

The younger Uchiha nodded his head determinedly. "I do not ask you to declare him innocent, I simply ask for a lighter sentence." He smirked. "You, of all people, should know that to some, the wounds to the pride are worse that the wounds to the body."

The king scoffed.

* * *

"Your Majesties, have you reached a verdict?" Tsunade inquired as the returned rulers settled back on their seats.

Fugaku nodded his head. "Hime-sama, we have decided, by vote, that the kings are guilty."

The said men froze at his words, for the first time since the trial began, fear settled itself in the pits of their stomach as the inevitable fate of death dangled itself on their heads and the end of the tunnel appeared too near.

"Him-" Daiki began but was interrupted by Fugaku.

""Hold on, speak Sasuke."

The young prince snapped his eyes towards is father, he was under the impression that his father would exhibit the case.

Sensing that his father would not budge, he cleared his throat.

"We, as the principle influenced parties in this matter, would like to lighten the sentence that is to be enforced on the two Kings."

Tsunade frowned, confused but not unwilling. "You may present you case."

He nodded his head. "In our treaty with the Harunos and the Nagazakis, it is said that the two Kindoms would not be engaged in wars or rebellions against each other, and the one who breeches these terms shall face dire consequences that would be decided by the opposite party. This contract has been approved and signed by you, Chancellor as well as the High council, which renders it valid on an international level."

"Correct, Your Highness, but I fear that your intention eludes me."

He smirked. "Thus , Chancellor, any breech to said contract shall be considered High Treason against the wishes of the Supreme Council."

The blonde's eyes widened as she realized his intention.

"We find the charged guilty with High Treason, and by the terms of the contract that you have just determined valid in this court, we, Otogakure No Sato Uchihas, shall be the one that determine the punishment."

Tsunade seemed bewildered; she looked around at her lords who seemed just as perplexed as her.

"Your argument stands correct, you Highness, but I do not understand, is not execution what you desire?"

For a brief moment amber and coal eyes landed on the shaking form of the rose haired princess and the Chancellor immediately understood the reason for the prince's appeal.

"We have our own reasons, one of which is that the sentence seems too severe when no damage has been sustained."

"Very well, my lords do you agree with what has been presented?"

The daimyos and royalties had no choice but to nod their heads granting the Uchihas the power to do as they pleased.

The two Kings held their heads bowed, defeated and humiliated beyond salvage, death could prove to be easier at this point, even if Daiki and Takeshi would walk out of this with no jail time, they would never be able to raise their heads in front of others, they would be forever known as the two Kings that were trialed and saved by the Uchihas.

The Haruno, out of the corner of his eye, could see his family. Sakura appeared sad and he knew that she was the reason for this turn of events. Daisuke stared at the floor, shamed and disappointed in the choices that his father has made.

Lady Haruno wept in the far corner but it was obvious that she was grieving her status instead of her husband's demise.

He closed his eyes and kept his head bowed, ready to surrender to his fate, whatever that proved to be.

"What is your standing Uchihas?"

Sasuke spared the charged a glance before talking. "Haruno Daiki, king of leaf and Takeshi Nagazaki, king of Rain, shall be rid of their throne and each and every right that their rank has provided them with, the ruling of both countries will be under our close supervision." His coal eyes travelled towards Daisuke. "The leaf shall fall under the ruling of Daisuke Haruno, international affairs, trades and contracts shall be approved by delegates of the Uchiha Clan and the council, as there is no current heir to Rain, the Nagazaki era ends here."

Tsunade smirked at the revelation. 'Well played, kid.' She thought. 'Not only did he find a way out of execution of the Kings, but he also found interest for his country."

"From this moment forward, Konoha and Ami will cease to exist as individual Kingdoms; instead they will be joined to the Sound Kingdom as States. The leader will no longer be called as King but Head of State; in addition, we request that the accused be exiled to Ottawa."

"You have left me no room to protest, Uchiha." She sighed. "Haruno Daiki, Nagazaki Takeshi you have been found guilty for your sins against the wishes of this council. Your sentence is the following, you will be rid of your titles and exiled to the island of Ottawa, because of your sins, Konoha and Ami have both fallen out of our favor and for that, the two lands shall become states of our dear friends, Kingdom of Sound." She paused. "Furthermore, a warrant has been issued against Ryu Nagazaki, he shall be held for trial as soon as we prevail in his capture at the charge of assault. This trial has been concluded, you are dismissed."

She stood to leave and motioned for the guards to take the no longer kings. The lords began to slip out of the room, disbelieving of what transpired in the span of a day.

Sakura moved to stand, her heart feeling ten times lighter, she froze at the sight of her brother, still seated and tense. Sasuke stood behind her as she laid her hand on Daisuke's shoulder.

"Nii-san, I-I am-"

His larger calloused hand covered her own and he smiled at her. "It is all well, sister."

Sasuke's hand came to rest on her own shoulder and he motioned to her with his head to leave.

"I shall meet with you soon, go."

She hesitated but complied when he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

He waited for her to disappear out of the door before he sat next to the once prince.

"Daisuke, I have always considered you a friend."

"As I have, Uchiha. As I have."

"It was not in my intention to harm you or wrong you."

The older brunet smiled. "You have granted my father his life; I have no more to ask of you."

Daisuke huffed. "In fact, I am ashamed and cannot loo-"

"Daisuke." Sasuke chastised. "You have done nothing wrong and you should not feel shame for something you did not commit."

"Perhaps it is better this way; Konoha will prosper under your ruling more than it could ever have under ours. The Uchihas will regain control of their homeland."

The Uchiha hummed. "I only spoke as such in front of the council; Konoha will cease to be a Kingdom, true. But you will be the leader. Only this time, with better economical support."

The two looked at each other before chuckling.

"I have always seen you with my sister, instead of that coward." The Haruno confessed.

"Is that so?"

"Yes." He stated. "And don't think for a second that I was ignorant to your attempts to lure her."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "You knew?"

"There is nothing that I do not know about my sister; even if I have never actually seen you seduce her."

Sasuke scoffed. "What kind of brother are you? You knew that your younger sister was being seduced and you did nothing about it?"

Daisuke laughed out loud. "The girl is too innocent for her own good, after all Father has done to her, she still pled for him. She was the one who asked, was she not?"

He simply received a nod. "Ah, the concept of vengeance is foreign to her."

Just as Sasuke opened his mouth to respond the door was slammed open.

Itachi's distressed form stood before them.

"Sasuke." he said sharply.

Sasuke's coal eyes stared at him confusedly; he questioned him silently for the reason of his distress.

"Sakura," the crown prince started, drawing the attention of both males.

"She has been kidnapped."

* * *

I know you guys do not enjoy cliffhangers so I'll make sure to update fast!

I hope that you liked this one, I put a lot of effort in it, trying to post it on my birthday (which was yesterday) but, alas, I only finished it today :(

Tell me what you think and feel free to check out my other stories!

**edited 24/06/2012 /: **I'd like to thank the reviewers that brought my attention to the fact that Prince charming is labeled complete when it's not. The reason for this is the following: When I first started Prince charming, it was supposed to be a two-shot, and when I turned into a multi-chapter story because of the reviewers that asked me to, I completely forgot to change the status. Anyways, I fixed that and thanks again for letting me know. I also fixed the mistakes that **Nagareboshi Star** has kindly pointed out, thanks a lot, the fact that Onooki is from Earth completely escaped my mind even though I usually pay attention to this stuff, I guess I was out of it. Anyway, thanks a lot.

ps. No one came off rude, so don't worry.


	8. part 7

I love it when I update fast!

Well dear reviewers, the journey ends here. This (sighs) is the last chapter, including the epilogue.

I'll just let you start reading.

* * *

Sasuke and Daisuke stared at the crown prince silently. Sasuke's eyes widened and his mouth dropped.

"Kidnapped?" The Haruno repeated. "By whom?"

The younger Uchiha struggled to find his voice, for the first time in his life he felt clueless.

"Wait, wait." He held up his hands. "How…how do you know that?"

Itachi sighed. "One of the guards heard her scream and all they found was this."

The crown prince held his hand up to reveal a gold band that was oddly familiar. That was all it took for Sasuke to barrel out of the room. The two followed his close by, till they found themselves in the stables where they left their horses. The prince mounted the beast before they could stop him.

"Otouto, wait! Are you just going to look for her all over? We need to form a plan."

The brunet shook his head. "She would be killed while we do that. There are only two entrances here, one from the east, it oversees the borders, and thus it is heavily guarded."

Daisuke nodded. "No one, no matter how stealthy, can leave with a hostage from there."

"So that only leaves the western entrance, I'll head that way and track them from there. In the meantime, you cover other areas."

The youngest of the trio did not offer them a chance to respond or react as he goaded his horse to scurry out of the stable.

"Track them?" Daisuke allowed himself a moment of disbelief.

"He's good at that. Let's go."

He felt like he was riding forever when it has barely been a few hours. The trail was strong and getting stronger by the moment. He used telltale signs to identify the assailants. The horse prints were deep indicating that the animal carried a heavier than normal weight. That meant that there was one kidnapper and he had Sakura on his horse.

He surveyed the scenery that kept changing around them. He could smell the rain in the air; they would be forced to retire to shelter soon. The Uchiha invested his good memory in locating any facility or property.

His eyes widened at the conclusion he reached. The Uchiha fired more strength into the beast and took a detour. If a confrontation is what he seeks, then a confrontation he will get.

"W-what do you want from me?" the rosette dug her feet to the ground as she was dragged to an old building.

"J-just let me go." Her pleas and tears met deaf ears.

She tried to fight; she screamed and received a slap in return. Her mind reeled to her husband. Did he know? Would he be look for her?

She screeched as she was hauled on the stairs, they looked shaky and unstable. Her green eyes widened when they landed on a familiar symbol.

"Why-why are you taking me here?" When she received no answer, she shouted, "Answer me, dammit! You can't do this, you can't just take me." She was suddenly pulled up into a hard chest, she met angry blue eyes.

"Isn't that what he did? Didn't he take you from me?"

She frowned before spitting in his face."You are not Sasuke, Ryu. Don't ever compare yourself to him."

She saw him raise his arm and she instinctively shut her eyes but the blow never came, she cracked open and eye to see him wipe his face with his sleeve.

"If I didn't love you so…" The threat in his voice was obvious.

Once again, the renegade prince dragged her. She was tired and her hair was sticking to her neck and face due to the rain that had caught them off guard and there was nothing she wanted more, in that moment, than to curl up in her husband's arms.

_Sasuke, will I ever see you again?_

"I never loved you." She whispered when he began to tie her to one of the few pillars that still stood on the abandoned place, she winced as he pulled the rope tighter than necessary on her wrists.

"Be quiet." He hissed.

"It was always him. And he will come."

This time, she felt the burn of his palm on her cheek, her head snapped to the side with the force of the blow, banging against the cement, and she felt a warm liquid trail down her face.

"Is this what you call love?"

She snapped her head to the side, willingly when he attempted to clean her face.

"Don't you touch me." The rosette snarled. "You have no right."

The prince chuckled darkly, his hand found her neck and he pressed faintly, enough to arouse panic in her.

"You acted like the prim aristocratic lady with me, always shying away from me," he pressed a little tighter and her fear showed in her green orbs, "But you let him touch you, didn't you? You did, didn't you?"

There was a new defiance in her words as she remembered who the man holding her by the neck was, the man that almost killed her husband. "Yes." She hissed. "Yes, I did. Do you want to know why?"

He growled at her but that only fueled her further.

"Because, unlike you, I see a man in him." She whispered. "Not a coward that would resort to poison and kidnappi-"

She was interrupted by his hand, once again, coming barreling on her face.

A tear escaped her eye, but she refused to show her fear, she refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he aroused any type of feeling in her but contempt.

"Why me?"

"Because you are the one that didn't want me."

Her emerald orbs widened at the revelation, all this, what he did to Sasuke, to his father, to his country, because of pride?

"My god, you are really a sick man."

"Sick? I prefer the term-"

He was interrupted by deep voice. "Ever the theatrical, aren't you, Ryu?"

The prince's eyes widened, as his head snapped in every direction trying to locate the voice.

"Bringing her here, to the Uchiha's old district shows an inclination to drama."

Ryu drew his sword, pointing it at Sakura's neck. She gasped and tried to pry her throat as far away as possible from the blade.

"Show yourself, or I slit her throat."

There was a husky chuckle. "Courageous too, raising your blade in the face of a woman, unarmed no less."

There was a dull thud behind them. Ryu spun on his heels to see the Uchiha kneeling on the ground.

Sasuke rose to his feet, holding his own sword high and proud.

He walked so calmly as if his wife was not being held hostage by a mad man.

As soon as he made eye contact with her, her heart lurched towards him. "Sasuk-"

The sword dug deeper into her skin, almost breaking it, preventing her from talking.

"Let her go, Ryu. Your goal lies with me."

"Tch, what do you know of my goals, Uchiha? I want vengeance, and I have discovered," he looked at Sakura, "That the only way to hurt _you _is to hurt _her."_

Try as he might, Sasuke could not quell the dread that crept its way into his body and soul at the thought of the woman he loved dying at Ryu's hands.

"Did you not claim to love her? Would you watch her die at your own hands?"

The Nagazaki sneered. "If I cannot have her then no one can."

"You leave me no choice then, this time I will not spare you." He threatened.

"How can you, kill me, as you allege when I have your precious princess in my hands?"

Sasuke growled. "I was under the impression that you'd fight as an honest man."

"Honesty," he leaned to place a kiss on fearful Sakura's neck igniting another growl from Sasuke, "has no place in me when it comes to Konoha's cherry blossom."

"S-sasuke."

"You dare call his name, in such a position?" Ryu shouted at her but it was Sasuke who answered.

"Yes, yes, Ryu. Because when I took her, I showed her love, real love, Ryu." He paused." You may not understand that, and up until I met her, I didn't either."

"To me, Sakura is more than just a princess that I married or a pretty lady to show off at my arm, Sakura and I existed long before you and she ever were." The Uchiha huffed. "In the end, you took her from me, and I had to do something about that."

"And I took her back."

_Flashback_

"_My lady." _

_The rosette turned to the voice that had called her to come face to face with a hooded man. She craned her neck confusedly, waiting for him to reveal himself, but he didn't._

"_Your husband has requested that I escort you to him."_

_Sakura blinked, she stared at the entrance that she has exited from and wondered how she had missed her husband and brother. The escort seemed to notice her confusion._

"_I think that he went on another way, the tower has many entrances, you see."_

_She almost laughed at herself, and nodded her head, following the stranger with long strides to catch up with his hasty walk._

_She stopped suddenly. "I am sorry, but I am under the impression that this is not the entrance that we came in."_

_It was deserted and oversaw nothing but a forest. Only a horse stood before her, as she started to turn towards her companion, she felt a wet cloth being placed on her mouth._

_She barely managed a muffled scream before the darkness claimed her frail body._

_She had only awakened hours later, the sun almost completely disappearing from the horizon, as she was being hauled off the horse._

_End of flashback._

"Ryu." Sasuke started. "What…what is your plan, here? Kill me and then leave with Sakura? Leave where? You will be followed for the rest of your life."

"Shut up." The renegade hissed but Sasuke kept on.

"And then what, Ryu? Sakura does not want you; she had made that clear on so many occasions."

"I said keep quiet!"

"If you deserve her as much as you think you do, she would have never gone with me."

"You played with her mind." Ryu bellowed. "Just like you, Uchiha, always do."

Sasuke smirked. "I wondered why you betrayed your father like that. Why would you, as his son, risk the execution of his own father? It was you, wasn't it?"

The look that crossed over the Nagazaki's face was all the confirmation Sasuke needed. It was on his mind ever since the possibility of Ryu being the informant imposed itself. And yes, it has imposed itself because there was no way that someone outside the circle of the assailants could land his hands on sucj important documents, letters were hard to intercept when you don't know what you are looking for. Especially royal letters, those were highly confidential and their retrieval required highly trained spies, excellent at infiltration or, Sasuke thought, a person from the inside which still is and will always be the best way to retrieve info.

"It was bizarre to me, until I reached a conclusion that I should have seen all along." Sasuke smirked.

"We're aristocrats, who, of us, has an ideal relationship with his or her father?"His eyes drifted to Sakura. "We all rebel; some go to places that they shouldn't visit and others…others go to drastic measures, others complain about their fathers to supreme courts."

Ryu visibly stiffened. "You felt betrayed, betrayed by your father's lack of reaction, you knew that his reasons for destroying my clan were far from yours, he did not care one bit for your sentiments and cast aside any thoughts of vengeance." He paused. "It made you realize that you father never cared for what you did or did not feel for Sakura, his interest in your marriage ended the minute it stopped serving his plan, and you were enraged."

He could see the paradox of expression shift on his nemesis' face, angry, confused, surprised, hurt then angry again.

"You know nothing!"

Sasuke chuckled, his blade still pointed to kill even when he seemed to grow a lighthearted mood. "Oh, I do. It's a simple fact of life, Nagazaki. At some point in our lives, we will all realize that, no matter how compassionate or how nice, our fathers care more about the dynasty than they do about us. And in the end, we are a mere continuation of the monarchy."

There was a sad undertone in his voice, and his heart ached with old pain as he remembered his own father and his strained relationship with him. It was unfortunate but true. Although, what his father has done for him that day, brought him to a new light and he thought that maybe, just maybe, there was hope yet for them.

He locked eyes with Ryu."I suppose the truth appeared before you, Takeshi Nagazaki cares for no one but himself and his kingdom."

There was a roar as the blade that held Sakura's life by a thread clashed with his own. In a split second and a powerful swing of his wrist, he switched their positions so that he now stood protectively in front of his wife. Sakura exhaled sharply and tried with all her might to wriggle out of her bindings to reach for him.

Ryu's eyes darted between the two of them and the sword he held in his hands. His blue eyes landed on Sasuke's face and he growled at the smirk.

"This was your plan all along, wasn't it?" The Nagazaki growled. "You…bastard."

"You and your likes astound me; you claim that we are deceitful bastards but never cease to fall for our traps, what is that saying? A wise man will not be bitten by the same snake twice? Well, I am no snake. We, Uchiha, soar high and we never slither."

"I will kill you."

The sword came barreling down on his own and he fended for the two of them as best as he could, while using his body to shield Sakura. The rosette cringed at every close call.

"Be careful." She whimpered.

This ordeal after ordeal exhausted her both physically and mentally; she was still suffering from the strain that the trial has put on her and now she had to watch her husband exchange blows with a psychopath. She looked down on her body and hoped beyond hope that the happenings would not affect _it._

Her green orbs widened when they caught the fast descend of Ryu's weapon towards her. Her mouth dropped in a silent scream for the millisecond it took for Sasuke to stand between the danger and her.

Blood oozed from the wound and stained his crème vest. She rocked forward but her binding slammed her back against the concrete.

She titled her head back and cried out to god. There was a harsh grown as Sasuke rid himself of the weapon. It happened in the mere amount of a few seconds but to sakura it seemed that ages has gone by and her body was suffering the drags of time when it was really the tension that she is being put through that had made her feel old. Old beyond her twenty years of age.

Ryu shined with satisfaction but his victory was short lived as Sasuke surged forward.

His pale hand was stained with crimson liquid as he cupped the wound to stop the bleeding. His lips and eyes shifted into a glare.

"Is…is this what you call love?" he sneered. "This scorched-earth policy is love to you? If I can't have then neither can you, that's what you are saying?"

Sasuke swung his shoulder in a wide angle, throwing the renegade a few feet back.

"I will tell you something, I may not believe in afterlife, but I do believe this, you can kill me, but come hell or high water, I will haunt you for the rest of my life. And I shall make it my goal to keep you from _Princess Sakura of the Otogakure Uchiha Clan_, as she will forever be called, in this life or the next." The Oto prince stood tall, despite his injury.

"I had wanted this…I had wanted her for three years. For three years I looked upon her and saw no one but her by my side. Of all the ladies, of all women, I chose her."

He could hear the ringing of the metal spoon as it crashed on his plate then toppled over to the ground. The sound was as fresh as that day in his mind.

_Flashback_

_The occupants of the table stared at him, confused._

"_Sasuke, dear, is something the matter?" his mother who was closest to him asked with a kind voice, but his obsidian eyes remained stuck to his father's face._

"_I-I am sorry, what did you just say?"_

"_I said," The king started impatiently, obviously annoyed by the behavior that his youngest son was displaying. "That the princess of Konoha and the prince of Ami have signed a marriage contract."_

_Sasuke stared at his plate for a second, before excusing himself and leaving in haste._

_The three sat dumbfounded, the parents could not fathom the reason for his upset, but Itachi recovered and followed his younger brother._

_He found him in the garden; he was on a bench, eyes locked on the cherry blossom trees._

"_Otouto." _

_The younger prince did not even acknowledge the crown prince and continued to study the trees._

"_When did you meet her?"_

"_Three years ago, give or take."_

_Itachi took a seat next to his brother and said, "Does she know?"_

"_No." he answered quickly but then rectified. "Not in the way that I want."_

_Itachi sighed. "You seduced her? Like you usually do?"_

_Sasuke chuckled. "In my defense, she seemed to like it."_

"_But she's getting married; don't you think that it is the time to give up?"_

_Sasuke looked at his brother with an arrogant smirk on his face. "Do I look like a person that would surrender over a marriage contract?"_

_Convinced that he was okay, the older Uchiha stood to leave. "I suppose not."_

_Just as he was about to move out of earshot, he craned his neck and asked, "Hey, what is her name?"_

"_Sakura."_

_Itachi huffed. "Huh, it makes sense."_

_End of flashback_

"Who are you to stand in the way of that?"

Even with only one good arm, Sasuke could spar just fine. He would forever treasure the words that Itachi has spoken to him as he carried him back home after the younger injured his self when he trained too hard for too long, he was eight and those words were his lifeline for so long.

_You and I are flesh and blood. I'm always going to be there for you, even if it's only as an obstacle for you to overcome. Even if you do hate me, That's what big brothers are for._

That's what Ryu's problem was, he didn't have an Itachi, he didn't have what to aim for and now he was trying to make Sasuke the obstacle that he needs to overcome.

Sasuke never hated his brother, he hated the way they were treated differently, he hated that he had to strive for his father's affection when Itachi had it since birth. No, Sasuke held nothing but feelings of gratitude to his brother, for it is because of him, that he stands here able with his head held high and proud. Ryu never had that, and because of that, he will lose.

Summoning all the strength he had left, the young prince of Oto swiveled his Kusanagi powerfully and knocked Ruy's sword from his hand.

He could barely hear the relieved gasp that escaped Sakura's lips.

A sense of déjà vu washed over him as he held the sword to Ryu's throat. Sasuke was renowned in every kingdom for his swordsmanship, to him, winning the fight was retrieving Sakura from the bastard's grips.

"You win again, Uchiha." Ryu stated dryly.

"There is still hope for you yet. Surrender now, and live to fight another day."

Ryu chuckled lowly then it turned out into a full blown out dark laugh. "You're right, I live to fight another day and I will ki-"

"Ryu." The princes turned towards the weak voice that had interrupted them. "Y-you don't have to fight, you have nothing to _fight for_." She half-sobbed. "I carry his child."

The same expression, crossed over their faces. Sasuke's mouth dropped and for the the first time that day he lost his concentration.

The last thing she saw before the strain of the day lulled her to a deep sleep was Ryu reaching for his blade in Sasuke's momentary loss of attention.

"_My lady."_

_The rosette turned towards the deep husky voice and was surprised to see the face that haunted her dreams._

_Her eyes narrowed back to their normal size. "Your highness." She did a small courtesy as she was taught._

"_What brings you here?" He inquired._

"_In Suna you mean?" She asked with the innocence of her 19 years of age._

_He chuckled. "Where else? Isn't that where we are?"_

_She blushed at her foolishness. "I am accompanying my brother." She answered simply._

_The prince nodded. "And where is Daisuke?" _

_The tone he used promised so many dark things that she narrowed her eyes at him despite the butterflies that fluttered in her belly._

"_Your Highness, I would like to remind you that we are in a foreign country, therefore if you plan to initiate any of your usual inappropriate behaviors then I suggest you refrain."_

_He raised his arms in surrender. His dark orbs surveyed the golden nature around them. "It is quite hot in here, isn't?"_

_Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the faint redness that settled itself on her cheeks. "Is that why you are blushing?" he chuckled as cupped the soft skin and she turned a darker shade of red._

_Despite her earlier claims, she only flinched from his touch. He stroked the flesh marveling at her beauty. "Do I embarrass you, Hime-san?"_

_She averted her eyes. "I-, ano, why do you do this to me?"_

_A smirk adorned his handsome features before he broke any contact with her and turned on his heel, starting to walk away. He paused and craned his neck. "I'll see you, Sa-ku-ra."_

Sakura groaned as she was pulled back from the pleasant memory into a world of blinding light. She cracked her eyes open, and saw that the blinding light was a mere result of her eyes being closed for so long; at that though she asked herself, how much time has she spent asleep. The last thing she remembered was-

The rosette sat up in bed immediately. "Sasuke." She called to empty air but received no answer. She took a moment to survey her surroundings. Her eyes widened at the familiarity of the room. She was in her and Sasuke's quarters in Sound. She was home. She scurried off the bed and slid her feet into the first pair of slippers she could find. She looked down on herself and found that she was dressed in one of her nightgowns; she had no time to worry about her attire as she hurried towards the door. Just as she was about to exit, she collided into a hard surface. She recovered quickly and looked up at her barrier.

The second her green orbs locked with onyx jewels, her arms came to wrap around him. She began to cry immediately as he returned the embrace.

"Sasuke." The rosette rasped. She tightened her arms around him but let go when she heard him groan out in pain.

All she could feel at that moment was gratitude, because yes, home was where the heart is and she never felt more at ease than to see him there. The weight of the pain that the past events have brought lessened as she saw him because her _Prince Charmant _was there and he would help her conquer the world. She felt like she cried on his chest for hours but it has only been minutes. Sasuke spoke nothing, said nothing and simply held her in his arms because the end proved to be exhausting. The wound in his side was throbbing but he ignored it in favor of taking in the natural scent that her body depicted. It was heaven, it was rain after a long time of drought and he felt like a parched man finally reaching the stream that he has been chasing for so long. And he drank and drank and drank. He drank in her scent, her petite body in his arms, her tears wetting through his clothes, her soft locks tickling his nose and everything else.

He bent his knees to carry her small form. The prince laid her on the bed and made love to her for the first time in what felt like ages when it has only been two months. Forgetting his wound, forgetting that he has not yet spoken to her, forgetting what they have been through, he worshiped her body like he did on that sweet night not too long ago.

The prince pulled the rosette into his embrace, once again, plastering their slick sweaty bodies together. Sasuke kissed her hair and stroked her sides while Sakura's eyes darted to his bandaged injury. She had forgotten about it as well, when they lost themselves to the throes of pleasure.

"It's fine." He whispered, his voice echoing off of the walls for the first time that night.

She hummed in response, not at all bothered by their state of undress because she simply didn't care anymore. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"Too long." He answered simply.

"And Ryu?" she immediately regretted her question when he stiffened but he relaxed promptly.

"Do you really want to think about him? When we're like this in each other's arms?"

Feeling that she will not be satisfied until she learnt her of what transpired he told her how he managed to block his attack but the price had been Ryu's life.

The princess nodded. "It is all for the better, I suppose."

He made a sound of agreement and then as if he just remembered he angled her so he could look at her face.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She looked at him confused but understood him when he glanced to her covered flat belly. She averted her eyes but he would have none of that. His candle-like fingers grasped her chin to make her look at him.

"Hey, why did you hide it from me?"

"I-I" she stammered for moments but was comforted by his soft looks. "You would have never let me come with you otherwise."

He looked at her in disbelief almost amused, but he let it go. "How long have you known for?"

"A week before you returned."

"That long?"

She smiled sheepishly. "I was planning on telling you after you returned but with all that transpired…"

He nodded his head, understanding that there was no way for her to share such news in light of all that took place. His hand traveled to her belly and cupped the warm flesh. She flinched at his cool touch but then relaxed. His fingers drew circles on her tummy and she felt goose bumps travel down her spine.

"What do you think?" Her insecure voice interrupted the silence.

He did not speak for a few heartbeats but his fingers never ceased their motion, he sighed. "I have always been fascinated by the idea of it. A heart that beats in such a small place, a life that exists, barely noticeable, the fact that the life is my own, that I helped create it, makes it all the more astounding. "

A smile stretched over her features at his acceptance. "You are pleased, I suppose?"

He smiled, as he did on rare occasions, at her and nodded. He was pleased. He had a family and life was amazing, as it never was before. He reached over to the nightstand and retrieved a small object.

The prince pulled his wife's left hand from his chest and slipped a cold band into her ring finger.

"My wedding band, I thought I had lost it." She exclaimed as he inspected the gold material.

"Sakura." He called making her look at him instead of the ring. "Promise me that this ring will bind us forever, promise me that no matter how doomed our marriage seems to be, no matter what obstacles come our way, promise me that you will stand by me and our children.

Had he noticed that he applied the term children instead of child, she smiled nonetheless.

"Je te promets." It was a whispered promise that _finally _initiated their fairytale.

**Epilogue**

Sakura cooed at the bundle of joy and smiled when the baby cooed right back, he balled his little fists and waved them around, chasing an imaginary object.

His toothless smile was so cute. He was such a quiet one, taking after his father, with dark hair and dark brown eyes.

The door opened suddenly and Sasuke entered. He walked straight to the duo and lowered his body onto the bed.

He moved closer to his wife, sandwiching the six month old baby between them.

"Um, Sasuke-kun, you're still wet." She inched away from him because of the after effects of his bath.

The infant gurgled as if he understood what she said. Sasuke pulled h, is small body to his chest and laid him there.

"You will make him sick, Sasuke."

The Uchiha shook his head. "No, because, we are strong, aren't we, Shinosuke?"

Sakura huffed and watched them interact. "It was awfully nice of Itachi-nii and Kimiko-nee to leave Shin with us for the night, wasn't it?"

Sasuke scoffed. "I am sure they are thinking how we are awfully nice to take him for the night." He paused. "Although, I do believe that they are busy doing something that does not involve much thinking."

She gaped at him appalled, and then promptly proceeded to smack his arm. "Sasuke, how can you say such things in front of Shin."

He just chuckled. "He does not understand a word I'm saying, besides, the boy will be happy that his uncle teaches him of the necessities of life."

"Tch, only you would call it a necessity of life." She grumbled.

"And it is." His tone softened. "It brought us our own child, hasn't it?"

She smiled down at her enlarged stomach and her smile deepened when Sasuke's own hand covered her own. He looked her in the eye.

"Having Shin here is wonderful, but I can't wait for our own child to come."

She nodded her head softly.

As the three of them laid on the bed, Shinosuke fast asleep, she whispered, "Ano, Sasuke-kun, do you think the phrase 'they lived happily ever after' applies to us?"

He remained silent till she thought that he hadn't heard and then his hand found hers in the darkness.

"No." He murmured. "I don't believe in absolute situations, there's always good in bad and bad in good, but I think we're as close as one could get to happily ever after."

She seemed to accept that answer. Well, there you go, they didn't live happily ever after, but it was close enough.

"And for the record when I said that they are busy doing something that does not involve much thinking, I meant sleep, the boy is exhausting."

"Eep."

* * *

*I decided to just include the epilogue here since it was so short.

Okay, thank you to all those who reviewed! I really appreciate the support.

Notes: Okay! Our journey started about two months ago and I am very happy with it! It's not bad for a first multi-chapter story. Prince Charming will forever be my baby, and in the words of the infamous Gollum, my precious.

Somethings might not add up with the first two chapters, but keep in mind that PC was meant to be a two-shot and I converted to a Multi-chap at your request. I have received reviews that I will forever cherish.

Andy-chan, thanks a lot for your support and putting up with my crazy idea, the poor girl discussed the whole layout of the story with me.

Marvin-Uchiha, your reviews will be the most cherished.

C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only, Niquee18, Moonwaterpetal, BlueExorcistFanatic765, Mystic Sorrow, XxXDevilXLynxXx, ViOlEt-KaT, ILoveSxS , The Fortune Teller, ImmaBeForever, Nagareboshi Star, LaberaiTashio, ThundercatPumyra, gaaraxoxo, Life'sNotPerfect

Thank you all! and forgive me if I left anyone out.

I might get back to this story a little further on the road, in the meantime, please do stop by my other multi-chap story and my oneshot/drabble/crack requests.

Ciao, friends, you have been great, all of you! God, it's getting harder to leave this story but all good things must come to an end, if you have ideas on fics you want to read let me know.


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